What If
by lynco9228
Summary: What if Liza had ended things with Josh before she went to the Hamptons? What if she told Charles the truth? A different spin on how our favorite couples love story came to be. Rating will change to M for later chapters.
1. Take My Breath Away

I'm planning to follow the general storyline of Seasons 4 & 5 (Clare, Pauline's book, Kelsey discovering the truth, Edward LL Moore scandal, etc.), but I'm going to play around with the timeline and I welcome any ideas and prompts. I'd love to write some shorter one shots in between chapters of this story. Reviews and comments welcomed!

Chapter 1

Charles

"I like you."

The words spilled out of Charles' mouth before he could even think. He couldn't help himself. In this moment, with the music and the lights and Liza in his arms, he just knew he had to put his feelings out there. This beautiful woman standing in front of him seemed just too good to be true. Smiling and laughing and listening to his stories about his youth. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and Charles' heart sank. He glanced down at the floor as they swayed to the melodic notes of "Take My Breath Away". He closed his eyes for a moment, and in that moment, she leaned in and kissed him, her hands sliding their way up to his arms, tugging on his shirt to pull him closer.

Liza

"I like you."

Did he really just say what I think he said?", Liza thought, as she swayed on the spot in the club, her mind going a mile a minute. She searched his eyes, oh those gorgeous blue eyes that looked like they could bore a hold right though her, and before she knew what she was doing, she leaned up and kissed him. Oh, how she had wanted to do this for months, ever since he tracked her down at the Paramus Mall. And if she was completely honest with herself, she had wanted to kiss him long before that.

She leaned back slightly, even as her arms came up to rest on his upper arms. She felt tight muscles through the fabric of his shirt, and her fingers tugged lightly at the fabric. She felt the hand that had been resting on her hip as they danced pull her closer to him, as the other came up and wrapped around her neck.

They parted for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. Everything that she was feeling in that moment, everything she was experiencing made her feel a little heady, almost faint. The blue lights of the club cast a glow over everything, and Liza thought that they made Charles's eyes look even bluer. The way that Charles was ever so gently pulling her flush against him as they continued to sway to the music. She felt his hand, warm and soft, on her neck, and leaned in to kiss him again.

The world around them dissipated as they embraced, and they lost themselves in each other for another minute or so. Moments later the song came to an end and they were jostled apart by the crowd. Charles reached out to catch Liza as a woman pushed past her and Liza tripped in her heels. She giggled and he smiled at her. Could she be any more beautiful?

Charles leaned in close to Liza, huskily whispering in her ear "Do you want to get out of here?". He wanted nothing more than to be alone with her right now, but he also knew that he needed her to know he wasn't going to pressure her into anything she didn't want to do. That nagging voice in the back of his head was still reminding him that she was still 26, still an employee at his company.

Liza tossed her chestnut locks over her shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "More than anything". Charles felt his pulse racing as he saw her eyes darken ever so slightly. He took her hand in his, and oh, did they fit so well together, and led her out of the club, onto the still bustling street. They paused to look at each other for the briefest moment, and then began to walk hand in hand back to their hotel.


	2. Indecision

Chapter 2

Charles didn't let go of Liza's hand the entire, thankfully short, walk back to the hotel. Neither said anything on the walk, both afraid that they would say something that would bring them back to reality and ruin the moment. Instead, Liza entwined her fingers with Charles' and squeezed his fingers gently, almost as if she was trying to reassure him that this is what she wanted. Meanwhile, her mind was racing. She knew she needed to tell him the truth. That she shouldn't cross that line with him until he knew the real Liza Miller. She didn't want to mislead him, anymore that she already had.

Would he still want her when he found out that she was 40, divorced, and a mother to a 19-year-old college student? Would he want to be with her, despite the lie? Or was he attracted to the 26-year-old Liza, the assistant, the millennial?

Charles could almost feel her thinking as they rounded the corner to their hallway. Their rooms were next door to each other. Diana was thankfully checked into a 5-star hotel down the street, and he was sure Kelsey, who was rooming with Liza, was still out partying with her new boyfriend, Colin. Charles could feel his heart beating and could feel his blood pumping to the southern regions of his body. He wanted this, wanted her, so badly. How many times his mind had wandered over the past months to being with Liza. He had had far too many cold showers in the past few months than he cared to ever admit to anyone. His mind had often wandered into daydreams of her waking up next to him at the brownstone, making breakfast with the girls, taking them to the park. He had imagined a whole life for them. He loved her; he couldn't deny it. But would she want a life with a man almost 20 years her senior? Would she want to become a stepmother to two young girls? He didn't know any of the answers to these questions, but he knew he wanted to be with her.

They paused outside Liza's room. As Liza fiddled with her room key, she turned to Charles, smiling. God, he thought, she was so beautiful. She just radiated joy.

"So," she said, "That was unexpected."

Charles cleared his throat. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't know that Berlin was still together."

Liza laughed as she turned slightly to open the door to her room. She turned to face him, bracing for what she knew was going to come next. "Yeah, it must have been a one night only kind of thing."

She turned to face him in the doorway. She didn't thing she could ever get over how handsome he was. So tall, so imposing, but he had this shy, boyish charm to him that endeared him to her so much. She would never have thought that a man as incredible and important as him would ever be attracted to her.

"Oh," he said, rocking back and forth on his heels, "I sure hope not." He leaned forward, his eyes sliding down her body, those long legs, and back up again. Stepping forward, he leaned down and took her lips in his. He couldn't get enough of her. She smelled faintly of coconut and vanilla, and as he felt her grab onto his suit jacket and pull him closer, he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deep embrace.

Liza was surprised by the ferociousness of Charles' kiss, but she let herself fall into it. She let one hand slip around him and over his back, into his hair, as her other hand slipped inside his suit jacket and against his shirt. She rested it on his abs, feeling how taught they felt under her. She had hardly ever seen him in anything other than one of his impeccable 3-piece suits, and she imagined that what lied underneath was also impeccable. As he shifted to pull her closer, she felt his arousal press up against her leg. Her blood was pumping so fast she could almost hear it. He pulled away from her lips and trailed kisses up her cheek to her ear and landed his mouth on her neck, planning kisses from the collar of her dress up her long, graceful neck.

Liza pulled him into her room and heard him kick the door shut as he moved back to kissing her. She opened her mouth to him and playfully tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth as they backed into the bedroom area. She reached up and slid his suit jacket onto the floor, her hands raking across his back.

Charles spun her around and slowly ran his hands from her hips up her sides, grazing slightly across her chest. He moved her long, wavy hair to one side of her head and leaned down and kissed her gently on the neck.

"I've wanted this for so long," He whispered, his breath hot on her neck. He felt her shiver, almost imperceptibly, and reached up to slowly pull down the zipper to her dress, kissing her neck as he did so. He felt her press back up against him and could feel the blood run to his groin as he grew harder by the second. If he wasn't careful, this was going to be over before it barely started.

Liza closed her eyes and felt a wave of guilt wash over her, even as she was becoming more turned on by the second. God, how she wanted to be with this man. But her conscious was screaming at her to stop before it was too late, and to tell him the truth.

She could feel his hands moving up to slide her dress off, so Liza turned around to face him. His eyes were dark with desire, and his face had a look on it that she had never seen before. Passion or lust or just raw desire, or a heady combination of all three. She reached up and rested her hands on his shoulders as his grabbed ahold her waist. Liza leaned up and kissed him softly.

"Charles," she whispered, "Before this goes any further, I need to tell you something. I haven't been honest with you."


	3. Moment of Truth

Chapter 3

Charles looked down at her hands, splayed across his shoulders, firmly holding him at a distance. What could she possible have to tell him that would compel her to press pause on this moment? He squeezes her hips and smiled down at her.

"Whatever it is, I doubt it will make me want to leave this room, leave you, anytime soon, Liza. I want this. I want you." A small smile crossed her face as he looked into her eyes, trying to convey all his feeling to her, for her, in that one look. A shadow of sadness crossed her face as she took a deep breath.

"You should sit down." She pushed him in the direction of the bed and broke apart from him, leaning back on the edge of the dresser that was positioned a few feet in front of the bed.

"Liza, just tell me what is going on. I don't understand. Is it Josh? Are you two back together?" His mind was racing, all of his worries and insecurities about this relationship flooding to the surface.

She sighed. "No, no, it's not Josh. We've been broken up for a few weeks now. We wanted different things and I couldn't stay with him knowing that we were headed down separate paths. Plus, these feeling I have for you, Charles, I've had them for a while, and they're growing stronger."

"Then I don't understand what the problem is. If you have something you need to tell me, please just do it."

Inhaling slowly, she looked down at her dress and smoothed the wrinkles in the skirt. "Well, I'm, I'm not who I say I am, Charles. I'm not 26. I lied about my age to get the job with Diana at Empirical."

Charles felt like a deflated balloon, like all the air had been sucked out of the room. What was she saying? "So," he started slowly. "How old are you?"

"I'm 40. I'm divorced, and I'm a single mom. I have a daughter in her freshman year of college. Her name is Caitlin."

Charles got up and crossed to the window, looking out onto the beach, to the waves crashing onto the sand.

"Well, this certainly is a curveball I wasn't expecting. You have a daughter?"

"Yes, she spent last summer in India and moved back to the city in the fall. She stayed with me for a few weeks and spends a lot of her time in New Jersey with her dad. She works for him part time. He's a dentist."

Charles smirked, the picture of Liza, his Liza, with a 40 something dentist, flashing across his mind. Then it all came crashing down. He turned to look at her. She had her arms wrapped across her chest and was looking down at the floor.

Things began to click and fall into place for Charles. "So, I'm guessing "Take My Breath Away" wasn't your babysitter's prom song?"

Liza choked back a laugh. "Yeah."

"And the case study in the Deciding Decade, that was you, wasn't it?"

She nodded, still not looking up at him. She was scared to see his face. She didn't know if she could deal with Charles being disappointed in her, or angry with her, but she knew she was doing the right thing.

Charles let out a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed. "This is a lot to process, Liza. I'm, I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now. Why did you feel like you had to lie? Who else knows? Kelsey, Diana? Did Josh know?" The questions were coming fast and furious, and he could feel a bubble of anger or frustration or something, rising in him. He knew right now that he didn't give a rat's ass about her age. If anything, that was a weight off of his shoulders. He knew he wasn't a pervy 45-year-old that was attracted to the hot, young assistant. He had always known that Liza had an old soul, and now he knew why. But she had lied to him for over a year now, and it was going to be tough to get past that.

"I need the truth, Liza. I need to know everything."

Liza crossed to the bed and sat a safe distance away from him. And told him everything.


	4. Wake Up

Chapter 4

Liza awoke with a start the next morning as she heard a door close loudly. Groggily, she sat up and saw Kelsey coming out their joint bathroom.

"Sorry! Did I wake you up? My bad."

Liza yawned and shook her head. "Honestly I don't even think I was fully asleep. I was tossing and turning all night."

"Too much to drink? Or were you tossing and turning and thinking about Josh?" Kelsey smirked. Liza knew she didn't understand why they broke up and had grown weary over the past few weeks of her and Lauren trying to push her to reconcile with him.

Liza flopped back onto her pillow. "Kels, Josh and I are over. Done. Finito. I need you to accept that. Please."

"Whatever. You better get your ass up and moving. Our train back to the city leaves in 45 minutes. Oh, and I ran into Charles in the hallway. He looks like his night was even rougher than yours. I wonder if he met someone. Anyways, he already left, but he told me that he wouldn't be back in the office until next week. Apparently, he's taking his girls up to Pound Ridge for the week."

Kelsey went back into the bathroom and began to collect her toiletries. Liza closed her eyes and sighed as the memories of last night flooded back into her head. She had told him everything. Her life going back to the age of 22, when she had Caitlin. How she had worked at Random House for a few years out of college but had given it up to take care of Caitlin and her ailing mother. How her marriage had dissolved, how David had cheated and gambled away their savings. She remembered the sympathetic way Charles had reached out and held her hand as she told him this part. She remembered how he had soothed her through talking about her mother dying by rubbing her hands gently. And she remembered how he had pulled away as she told him about coming up with "The Lie". How she had interviewed with a dozen publishers and no one would consider hiring a 40-year-old. How Josh had mistaken her for a 26-year-old in the bar that night. How Maggie had suggested she lie about her age. How he had gotten up from the bed and started to pace the bedroom, his eyes tired, his hands rubbing over his face repeatedly.

She had told him that her feelings for him were there, that they were the realest emotions she had felt in years, and that she couldn't in good conscious cross that line that they both wanted to cross without him being aware of who she really was.

He had gotten up at this point and picked his suit jacket up from the floor. He had told her that he needed some time to process all of this, but that they would talk soon. He had kissed her lightly on the cheek, whispered, "Good Night, Liza Miller." And he had walked out of the room, not turning back to glance at her as the door swung shut. And now he had disappeared off to Pound Ridge, apparently_. Not like I blame him_, she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Kelsey came back in and packed up her toiletries, zipping them into the suitcase. "Bathroom is all yours. Better hustle. I'm gonna go have breakfast with Colin and I'll meet you at the train station, kay?" Without waiting for answer, she tottered out on her heels, wheeling her suitcase behind her. Liza got up and began to through her things into her suitcase. She turned to look back at the room a few minutes later as she made to leave. She had done what she knew was right, but the weight off her shoulders had now settled into a knot in her stomach. There was no going back now.


	5. Confession

Chapter 5

3 hours, 1 train and 1 cab later, Liza arrived home to Maggie's loft. She was exhausted, mentally and emotionally, and collapsed onto the couch as soon as she walked in the door.

"Long weekend?" Maggie leaned over the edge of the couch and put her hand on Liza's shoulder. She reached around with the other hand and lowered a glass of red wine down to Liza.

"The longest, Maggie. You have no idea." Maggie came around and sat down on the couch, eyeing her best friend. She looked tired.

"So, did you and Boss Man finally bang?" She asked bluntly, sipping her wine as Liza choked on the sip she had just taken.

Coughing, Liza set her glass down on the coffee table.

"No, but we almost did."

"What? I need details, pronto."

"I ran into him last night and we went to this coffeehouse/club place in East Hampton. Berlin was playing and – "

"Don't tell me it was 'Take My Breath Away'," Maggie smirked, "That song can do dangerous things to people."

Liza laughed "Yes, it can, and it did. I kissed him and the next thing I knew we were making out outside my hotel room like teenagers, Mags."

"And….?"

"I told him about me. I told him everything, Maggie. My age, about Caitlin, about everything."

"Holy shit, Liza. Please do not tell me that he didn't want to sleep with you after he found out you were 40. I'll kick him where the sun don't shine. Repeatedly."

"I love you for that, but no." He just needed some time to process things, which I totally understand. I lied to him, for a year. That's gonna screw with anyone's head. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up Maggie. Anyways, he left this morning before I saw him, and Kelsey told me he was headed back to the city to pick up his daughters and take them to his summer house for the week. So now I just don't know what to do. Do I text him or call him or just let him process things on his own timeline?"

Maggie surveyed her best friend. The worry on her face was something new. She had never seen her this worked up when she and Josh had faced a bump in the road. This was new. She must care about this Charles Brooks a lot more than she had let on. She leaned over and squeezed Liza's knee.

"Liza, if it's meant to be, it'll be. I know that's not the most helpful thing to say, but you just gotta have faith. I wouldn't text him. Let him miss you, darling. You're very missable. On that note, Josh came by yesterday."

"Way to bury the lead! What did he want?"

"Just to talk, allegedly. I think he wants you back Liza. Don't blame the dude."

"Maggie, I love Josh, but I am not in love with him anymore. He wants something different than what I do. I don't want to lead him on and have him resent me for not being able or wanting to give him a child. It's not fair to either of us."

"I know, I know." Maggie got up to refill their glasses.

"So, I think I need to tell Kelsey about me. I want to talk to Charles about coming clean at Empirical, but Kelsey needs to know. I can't drop a bomb like that without telling her first.

"Agreed. When do you want to tell her? Tonight?"

"Maybe. Might as well rip off the collective band aid. Should I tell Lauren too?"

"That's up to you. I hope she can keep her mouth shut about it until I decide to go public with everyone."

"Let's do it tonight. I need to take a shower though. Can you call Kelsey and see if they can come over? And we're going to need more wine."

Maggie smiled. "On it, girl. I'll take care of it. You go get cleaned up. You look like a 40-year-old."

"Hahaha"

A few hours later, Liza was cleaned up and feeling refreshed. As hard as it was, she was putting the Charles drama on the back burner so that she could focus on Kelsey. She puttered around the apartment, pulling together some photos and random things from her life to show to Kelsey. Her diploma from Dartmouth, pictures of her with Caitlin as a baby, the one picture of her and David that she had kept. Maggie had iced some wine and put out a plate of bruschetta and some crackers. A joint hung lazily from her mouth as she set out some wine glasses. Liza was tempted to take a drag to ease her nerves, but she laughed away the though. She couldn't be high when she told Kelsey the truth.

Some knocked once and the door opened. Lauren still felt free to come and go as she pleased, even though she was dating Max and Maggie was dating Malkie.

"Hola, my bitches! What are we celebrating tonight?" She snatched the joint from Maggie and took a drag before grabbing some wine and hopping up onto a barstool. Kelsey followed behind her, shrugging her jacket off. Liza handed a glass of wine to her and smiled.

"I want to tell you two something." Liza said, gesturing for them to sit down on the couch. She started pacing the living room.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Lauren squealed, "I knew it! Why else would you look that tired!" Maggie smacked her playfully on the shoulder.

Liza shook her head. "No, no, I'm not pregnant." She set her wine glass down and squared her shoulders. "I'm not who you think I am. I'm not 26."

"What? Liza, what are you talking about?" Kelsey narrowed her eyes at the woman she thought was one of her best friends.

"I'm 40 years old. I'm not 26. I lied about my age to get my job at Empirical because no one would hire me as a 40-year-old. I'm divorced, I have a daughter that is only a few years younger than the two of you. I quit my job in publishing 15 years ago to raise my daughter, Caitlin, and no one would hire someone who had been out of the workforce for so long. So, when I met Josh and he thought I was 26, Maggie thought I should pretend to be in my twenties. And it worked."

Kelsey got up and refilled her glass, downing it, and refilling it again. "So, you've been lying to me, to us, to everyone, for a year? Why the hell wouldn't you tell me? You could have trusted me Liza! Jesus, we're running an effing Millennial imprint, and you're not even a millennial?"

"Kelsey, I am so sorry. I was going to tell you before Millennial launched. I told Josh at Lauren's hot mitzvah, and he wanted me to come clean with you. But you were so happy, and I couldn't ruin that for you." Liza's voice caught as she felt tears well up. "Kelsey, you mean so much to me. You were one of the first people to befriend me, and I value our friendship so much. I hope you can forgive me."

"Why did you do it?" Kelsey sat down on a barstool and sighed. Liza sat down in front of her and took her hands.

"Because of my daughter. I needed a job, and I wanted desperately to get back into publishing. I needed to support Caitlin, and I was desperate. One day, when you have a baby, I hope you can fully understand why I did what I did. And I understand that you might not want to work with me anymore. Especially after this next part."

"What else could there possibly be?"

"Charles and I, well, we have feelings for each other. That's part of why I broke up with Josh. Besides that, he wanted kids, I couldn't string him along knowing I had feelings for someone else."

"You and Charles?" Kelsey smiled and started laughing. "Honestly, you two would be perfect together. You're both dorky and freakishly tall. And apparently, old. Does he know?!"

Liza smiled and nodded. "I told him last night. So, does this mean we are still friends?"

Kelsey let out a deep breath and sighed. "I can't promise that I won't get upset at some point about this, because you have been lying to me, but I forgive you. You're still Liza, just 14 years old than I thought. Besides, it's not me you have to worry about."

Liza looked at her questioningly.

"Diana."


	6. Finding His Answer

Chapter 6

8 days later

Liza woke at the crack of dawn that Monday. She had tried to sleep, but her anxious mind kept running over possible scenarios of what would happen when she saw Charles later that morning. True to her word to Maggie, she had refrained from calling, texting or emailing him the past week. Instead, she had thrown herself back into her work, adamant to prove to Kelsey that she had meant every word she said to her. Things had gone well, although she was now having to deal with a lot of sarcastic age related comments and jokes from Lauren and Kelsey. The morning after she had told them Lauren and Kelsey showed up for brunch with a six pack of Ensure for Liza. She knew she deserved it, and it was all in good fun, but she was over it.

She got up and surveyed the rack of clothes in the corner. She wanted to wear something that would wow Charles. Something mature and professional, but not stuffy. She wanted to prove to him that she was done with the lies. Some of her millennial getups would have to go. She settled on a pale pink pencil skirt that had a sexy little slit in the side and ended just above her knees. She grabbed a white and cream striped tee and tucked it loosely into the skirt, and slid on some white heels. She pulled on a pair of white heels and, hearing Maggie moving around in the kitchen, sauntered out and did a little caltwalk strut.

"What do you think, Mags? Am I pulling off trying, not trying?" She did a little spin before sitting down at the island.

"Definitely! Charles coming back today?"

"Unless I scared him off for good. I just wanted to look a little more professional and a little less millennial."

Maggie slid a travel mug of coffee across the island to her. "Mission accomplished. I can't wait to hear how it goes. And remember, my offer to kick him repeatedly in the groin still stands if he is a jerk to you."

Liza smiled and began to gather her things. "Hopefully it won't come to that."

Charles

Charles was the first one to the office that morning, arriving at 6:55 A.M. He had had the nanny make sure the girls got to school, but not before he had woken them up with the promise of blueberry pancakes. Smiling, he recalled the past week. He had needed some time with his girls. He had taken them out of school for a week, but it was the beginning of June. They weren't missing much.

Bianca and Nicole were both still realing from Pauline leaving. It had been over a year and a half since she had seen them last. He had spent the last week doting on them. Swimming, hiking, horseback riding, collecting shells on the beach. Whatever they wanted to do, he made it happen. It had been a welcome distraction from the rest of his thoughts.

Liza, he thought, as he sat down at his desk and powered up his laptop. Every moment of the last week that he had not been distracted by the girls had been consumed by thoughts of her. He couldn't get her out of his head. He hadn't heard from her at all, and it had only taken him a day or so to realize that he was hoping that she would call.

That realization had given him the answer he was looking for. Was he upset that she had lied? Yes. Did he feel betrayed? Yes. Was he confused about what that would mean for their office dynamic and how it would affect Empirical? Yes. But did he want to be with her? Yes. He wanted everything with her. He wanted her waking up at the brownstone. He wanted diner dates at their hole in the wall secret spot before work. He wanted chaste kisses in the hallway at the office and he wanted locked door "meetings" in his office. He wanted weekends with her at Pound Ridge, with the girls, and just the two of them. He wanted to be with her at her apartment, to meet the infamous Maggie and see where Liza called home. He wanted her intoxicating scent of coconut and vanilla to linger in his home, in his office, on his sheets. He wanted all of it. And he wanted it with her.


	7. Morning Meeting

Chapter 7

"Liza!"

Liza turned to see Kelsey tottering around the corner outside the Empirical office, struggling to catch up with Liza's quick stride. Kelsey held her supersized Starbucks in one hand and her cell phone in the other.

Liza paused to let Kelsey catch up with her and held open the glass door to the building. "Didn't think that you would be getting in this early this morning."

"Yeah, well I wanted to go over the figures for the Emily Burns book that you purchased at the Hamptons Fair." The emphasis on "you" didn't go unnoticed by Liza.

"Kelsey, I'm sorry that I kept that from you. I panicked. And even though my motives were selfish, I do think that there is something there. It's got potential."

Kelsey rolled her eyes and sighed. "Possibly. I don't mean to make you feel guilty. I know why you did it. I just wish you had told me sooner. Girl, we're good. I've got your back."

Liza felt a wave of affection for Kelsey wash over her. She could honestly say she was completely surprised by how Kelsey had forgiven and accepted her. She had braced herself for anger, for bitchiness and bitter comments. She had expected Kelsey to "unfriend" her in typical millennial fashion. She had worried endlessly about telling Kelsey the truth, and only wished she had told her sooner, way back at the beginning of this mess. But what was done was done, and it was time to face the music.

Moments later they stepped off the elevator into the Empirical office. It was just shy of 7:30, and the office was mostly deserted. She parted ways with Kelsey at her office door and a quick glance confirmed that Charles was, in fact, back. She saw him through the window into his office, bent studiously over a stack of papers in front of him. He didn't see her. She set her things at her desk and went to the coffee bar. She pulled out a cup for herself and began to fix a cup for Charles. A splash of cream, no sugar. God, she thought, I've got his coffee preferences memorized. She slipped a lid on his and squared her shoulders. Tossing her hair over her shoulders, she mustered as much confidence as she could and walked down the hall to office. Kelsey looked up as she passed, and seeing where she was going, began making kissy faces. Liza gave her her best withering glare and kept on walking.

She stood in the doorway for a moment before she knocked. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a blue tie that she just knew would make his eyes look even more piercing. Good lord, she thought, he was so handsome. Reaching up, she knocked gently on the door.

Charles

The knock at his office door jarred him out his work. He had been pouring over some financials, trying to find some ways to tighten the purse strings without having to let anyone go. He looked up to see Liza standing in the doorway, holding two cups of coffee.

"Hi. Good Morning. I, uh, I brought you some coffee."

He stood as she came in and took the coffee from her outreached hand.

"Thank you." He gestured for her to sit in the chair facing him as he settled back into his chair.

"It's good t-"

"How was Pou-"

They both started talking at the same time and laughed nervously. Charles settled back in his chair and rested his chin in his hand, surveying her for a moment. She looked gorgeous. He was thankful that there was a desk between them so he wasn't distracted by her long legs crossed in the skirt of hers. "It's good to see you, Liza. I missed you."

"I missed you too. I've been thinking about you all week."

"Me too. I've been thinking about things, about us, all week, and I really want to – "

"Charles! You're back!"

Both Charles and Liza jumped at the sound of Diana's shrill voice. Neither of them had noticed her arrive at the office. She came into the office and stared down at Liza, seemingly perplexed as to why she was sitting in Charles's office and not at her desk. She looked down at Liza and sighed, waving her hand toward the coffee machine.

"Right! Coffee! On it!" With a quick glance back at Charles, Liza scurried out of the office, slipping back into the roll of eager 20 something assistant. So much for that, she thought, groaning internally.

The morning seemed to drag on, for both Liza and Charles. He desperately wanted a few uninterrupted minutes to talk to Liza. To reassure her. He could see anxiety written all over her face. He could barely take his eyes off of her during the morning meeting, even though she sat next to Diana, brow furrowed, taking furious notes. He forgot what he was saying to one of his nonfiction editors as he saw her running out to fetch Diana's lunch. He valued Diana as an employee, and as a friend, but god, she was making it impossible for him to have even a moment alone with Liza.

As the day wore on, he couldn't take it anymore. He sent her a quick text.

_Meet me in the stairwell, in 5 minutes. _

He stood in the window to his office, watching her pick her phone up as it buzzed. He smiled slightly as she turned to glance at him.

_Ok._

He made his way to the stairwell, climbing up to the landing to the next floor. He leaned against the wall and his heart soared a moment later when he heard the door open below. Seconds later, she climbed up to meet him. She stood a few steps back from him.

"Hi."

"Hi." He reached out to take her hands, his fingers intertwining with hers. He pulled her close to him and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Charles, I –,"

He cut her off. "I need to see you tonight. I have things I need to say to you. Away from here. Away from the office, from Diana. Will you meet me tonight? I can have my neighbor babysit the girls. Meet me tonight, Liza."

She nodded, squeezing his hands. Oh, how she loved the feeling of her hands in his. So warm and comforting. Like he could protect her from anything.

"The Carlyle. 7:30." He bent down and kissed her lightly on he lips. He trailed a few kisses up to her ear and whispered, ever so quietly, "Show up this time, okay?".


	8. Drinks in the Dark

Chapter 8

Hope you are liking this so far! This is my first time trying my hand at fanfiction, so I'm hoping you are enjoying it! I'm going to try to make my chapters a little longer and do at least one a day!

The Carlyle, 7:30 P.M.

Charles sat at bar and took a sip of the scotch in the glass in front of him. He glanced down at his watch. It was exactly 7:30. He tapped his fingers on the bar and felt his foot tapping the leg of his chair. God, he thought, why am I so nervous? I'm acting like a teenager on his first date. Pull yourself together man. You have successfully dated other women before. He ruminated on his past for a moment. In all actuality, he had only ever been with two women. He had dated Tori Stevens in high school, and he had met Pauline the fall of his freshman year of college. He and Radha had only been together for a few weeks, and they had never been intimate. He knew, in his heart, and his mind, that this was because he had been so far gone with Liza, that stringing Radha along would have been wrong. He had never felt this way about any of them, Pauline included.

"Hi."

She had quietly snuck up on him and spoke as she climbed onto the barstool next to him. He couldn't help but let his eyes slide down her body. She had gone home and changed after work. She was wearing a tight off the shoulder black dress that clung to her body and ended mid-thigh. Her shoulders were bare, and she wore only the gold L necklace that he had become accustomed to seeing around her neck every day.

"You look amazing." Liza smiled back at him as she ordered a vodka tonic from the bartender. She hadn't missed the way his eyes had darkened when he saw her as she sat down. She knew that tonight was just drinks, just talking, and hadn't planned to change. But when she told Maggie she was meeting him, at a hotel no less, Maggie had practically forced her to change. She had been the one to pick out the dress and had insisted on redoing Liza's au natural makeup. Her last words as she had pushed Liza out the door were "If Caitlin calls, I'll tell her you had to work late. Nobody cockblocks Mama."

"I'm glad we're doing this Charles. I've been on pins and needles for the past week. I wasn't sure you would ever want to see me again." Her breath caught as her emotions caught up to her. "I wanted to call you so many times last week, but I know you needed space. I know you need to process everything and…"

"What I need is you, Liza. I need you. I can't get you out of my head, Liza. When I met you, it was like a cloud lifted. Am I disappointed that you felt like you had to lie? Yes, I am. But that doesn't change my feelings for you. I want to be with you." He reached with one hand to grab onto hers, and with his other he cupped her face.

"I'm all in, Liza. Whatever that means. I need you in my life. I don't think you'll ever truly know how much you have helped pull me out of that dark pit I had fallen into when my wife left. You mean so much to me."

Liza felt a warmth come over her as Charles spoke. There was a truthfulness in his face that she couldn't deny. Perhaps, she thought, I've underestimated all of the people in my life. She nuzzled her face into his palm and leaned in to pull him to her, to kiss him, for all the world to see.

Two hours passed like seconds. They sat at the bar, holding hands, bodies grazing each other as the bar filled in and their seats were pushed closer together. They talked about everything: high school and college, children, failed marriages. Charles filled Liza in on the details of the last days of his marriage and Liza of hers. They spoke of insecurities and the shared experiences of parenthood. Liza had never felt so real.

It was around 9:30 when Charles caught Liza attempting to stifle a yawn. He smiled, and though he hated to do it, knew that the night needed to come to an end soon. If he wanted to see his girls before they were fully asleep, he should get home soon.

"I've had an amazing time tonight, Liza." He said, as he paid their tab and stood up. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as they made their way out onto the street.

"Me too, Charles. I'm glad we got to do this, away from the prying eyes at the office. But what do we do about the office?"

Charles had been avoiding thinking about that. It was the messiest part of all of this. "Honestly, Liza, I'm not sure. I have a meeting with my lawyer on Wednesday, and I'm going to talk to him about this. There has to be a way for all of this to level out. But until we figure it out, I'm thinking we should keep our relationship professional, at least at work."

Liza smiled as he said the world relationship. It was little things like that that just made her feel giddy. This thing, this relationship, was finally real.

"I agree."

"I'm glad we're on the same page. We usually are, though." He winked at her as he opened his phone and called a car for each of them. "Our Ubers should be here in about 10 minutes."

"Do you want to go back inside?"

Charles grabbed her hand and pulled her down the street a little way. "No, I've got another idea on how to pass the time."

He pulled her around the corner into a darkened alcove along the side of the hotel. He pressed her against the wall and leaned in to kiss her. One hand cupped the side of her head and neck as he pushed her mouth open with his tongue and deepened the kiss, while his other hand traced down the curves of her body, coming to rest firmly on her hip. He slid his hand along her backside and squeezed as he pressed his body up against hers.

Liza moaned into his mouth as she felt his hand begin to wander over her body. He responded with a low, throaty growl and pressed his body harder against hers. He lowered his mouth to her neck and traced warm kisses across her shoulder and collarbone before returning his mouth to hers. Her hands were running all over him. Into his hair, across his back, his arms. She wrapped one leg around his to pull him closer. She moaned again but was interrupted by a phone vibrating.

"Charles," she breathed. "I think our cars are here." He groaned and pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. He looked down at her, her lips swollen and her eyes dark, and knew that if it wasn't for that godforsaken phone, he could have taken her right there in that alley. He shook his head and grabbed onto her hand again, leading them back out into the street. He walked her to the black SUV and held the door open for her as she climbed in. Leaning in, he kissed her before asking. "Can we do this again this weekend? My cousin is going to take the girls for the weekend. Let me take you out on a proper date. Friday night."

"I would love that." She waved to him as he closed the door and stepped up onto the sidewalk. For the first time in a long time, Charles felt something he thought he had lost. Hope.


	9. A Walk in the Park

Chapter 9

The rest of the week leading up to Friday seemed to last forever, Liza thought, but went by in a total blur. She had barely seen Charles for the past 4 days. She herself had been all consumed with both her work with Kelsey and with Diana. Kelsey was in the midst of putting the finishing touches on two books, and Diana was just, well Diana. On top of that, Kelsey had handed off the editing for the Emily Burns advice book to her. Which was a huge task in itself. The book was just plain bad. Liza secretly thought that Kelsey may be doing it to punish her, just a little, but she also knew that she deserved it. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop with Kelsey, waiting for her to blow up on her the way she had been expecting.

Charles had been out of the office for most of the week, so she had hardly seen him. With the exception of one way too short elevator ride at lunch on Thursday she hadn't had a chance to be alone with him all week. Closing her eyes for a moment, her mind wandered back to that moment…

She had forsaken her lunch hour to run an errand for Diana, and had just stepped onto the elevator to head back up the office when he had stepped in behind her. He had broken into a wide grin when he saw her.

"Hey you."

"Hey yourself." She reached over to press the button to close the door and felt him come up behind her and place his hands on her waist, pulling her flush with him. Sighing contentedly, she turned her head partially to meet his lips. They embraced like that for a moment, breaking apart just in time for the elevator bell to ding and the doors to open, ushering in a half dozen people. They stepped to the back of the elevator and she struggled to maintain her composure as he had discreetly grazed her leg with his hand and fingered the hemline of her dress. He had whispered "I can't wait to take you out tomorrow" before stepping off of the elevator and glancing back at her with that smile he had come to save only for her. She hadn't seen him since.

"Earth to Liza. You alive in there?" Liza opened her eyes to see Kelsey perched on the side of her desk.

"Hey! Sorry. Just lost my train of thought for a moment. What's up?" She glanced down at her cell phone. It was almost 6:00. She had told Charles that she would meet him on the steps of the New York Public Library at 7:00.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out for drinks with me and Lauren tonight. We could swing by the loft and pick Maggie up too. I need to unwind. This week has been killer, am I right?"

Liza looked around Kelsey to confirm that Diana was not within earshot. It looked as if she was gone for the night, thank god. "Actually, Charles and I are going on our first official date tonight. I'm meeting him in about an hour. I was actually just going to go and get changed."

"Look at you girl, you're all nervous! I haven't seen you like this since your first date with Josh! Sorry, I know you probably don't want to hear about him. Listen," she said, reaching over to grab Liza's hand "I am going to do my best to be supportive of whatever this thing is between you and Charles. But I need you to understand that this puts me in a weird position. He's my boss, Liza, and yours too. I'm just worried about what might happen if things end badly. And I'm not saying that things will end, but I need you to be careful. There is collateral damage in this situation."

Liza squeezed her hand before letting it go. "I understand. I know I'm putting you in a weird situation here, and I'm sorry, but my feeling for Charles are there, and they're real. It's not like it was with Josh, Kelsey. I'm not sure how to explain it. I know this is just the beginning, but I can really see a future with him. I couldn't see that with Josh. And you don't have to go out of your way to not mention him to me. I'm hoping that he and I can get back to being friends at some point. I love Josh, but I'm not in love with him anymore."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because I may be his new roommate. I moved out of Lauren's parents house this week. Max moved in and it's just too much. I've been staying at a hotel – "

"You could have come to stay with me and Maggie!"

"No, no, it's okay. But anyways, I saw Josh at the bar last night and he said I could stay with him if I couldn't find a decent place that didn't smell like cats. Long story. Is that too weird?"

"No! I mean, a little bit, but that's my problem, right? That's nice of him to offer."

"Yeah, it is. But enough about Josh. You need to start getting ready if you're going to be on time to meet Mr. Brooks. Need help with your makeup?"

Half an hour later Liza was climbing the steps to the NYPL. Charles, all 6'4" of him was leaning against the stone wall halfway up the steps. He swept her into his arms and kissed her before wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Let's get going, shall we?"

It was the best first date that either of them had ever had. Charles took her to Nica Trattoria, a small, romantically lit, Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side before escorting her to a waiting town car. They kissed for the entire ride, ending up at Battery Park, where he showed her the most amazing carousel. The Sea Glass Carousel, he told her, and it was so beautiful. They had laughed and held hands as they spun around in circles. The conversation flowed easily and comfortably, and they kept talk of work to a minimum. Tonight, they agreed, was all about them.

After the carousel, Charles suggested a walk through the park. They held hands and stopped at an ice cream stand and ordered gelato. Sitting on a nearby bench, Liza fed him spoonfuls of gelato, leaning in to kiss him after every bite. She was giggling and joking and Charles thought he had never seen anyone so utterly joyful. Being around her is just intoxicating, he thought. I can't get enough of her.

They continued their walk, slowly making their way towards the street. Coming to a stop, Charles turned to look at her.

"So," he said, intertwining his fingers with hers and pulling her to him. "What's next?"

Liza smiled shyly and glanced down briefly before meeting his eyes. She leaned in and kissed him before whispering in his ear. "Your place or mine?"


	10. The First Time

This chapter is definitely M rated! Lots of Charliza sexy time coming up in this chapter.

The car ride back to Charles' brownstone was a long and tortuous 15 minutes. Sitting in the back of that town car, with the lights of the cities flashing across their faces, it was a struggle for either of them to maintain their composure. The anticipation of what was coming was overwhelming and exciting. They had sat in silence for most of the ride, communicating through unspoken glances. Charles had wrapped one arm around her, and she was snuggled up against him, breathing in the intoxicating scent that was Charles. He smelled like scotch and aftershave and something faintly woody. She made a mental note to figure out which cologne he preferred and purchase a bottle for her apartment. She was planning on him spending quite a bit of time there.

They rolled to a stop in front of his home and Charles slid out first, reaching in to offer Liza a hand. _He really is the most chivalrous man I have ever met_, Liza thought. They climbed the steps in silence and Charles let go of her hand to unlock the door and let them in.

Charles fumbled with his keys as he tried to unlock the door. The combination of equal parts alcohol, nerves and the presence of Liza inches from him was making him nervous. He could feel his hand actually shake a little bit as he struggled with his keys_. Get a grip, man_, he thought to himself, as the latch clicked, and the door finally swung open. He let Liza slip past him as he closed the door and turned on the light and disabled the security alarm.

He turned to her to offer to take her coat, but she had already slid it off and hung it on the wooden coatrack to the left of the door. She was wearing a navy blue dress that made her legs look even longer, if that were possible, and showed off her long, toned arms.

"I'm a little – "

"I'm a little nervous." They said it both simultaneously and laughed.

"Would you like a drink?" Charles made to walk to the bar car that was positioned in the sitting room. Liza's hand reached out and caught his arm and pulled him back to her. She slide her hand slowly up his arm and rested it on the back of his neck. He could feel her nails on his skin as she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him.

All thoughts of a drink erased from his mind, Charles returned her kiss eagerly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. Liza nipped at his bottom lip before pulling away just enough to look him in the eyes.

"No drinks. Just take me to bed, Charles."

He rubbed the side of her face with his thumb. "We can't go back to how we were after this."

"I hope not."

With those three words Charles lost himself in her. He pulls her close to him and runs his hands from her head down her sides and across her backside, pulling her close to him. As he kisses her he pushes her towards the open archway into the living room. She wraps one leg around him and he reaches down and hitches her up so that her legs are wrapped around his waist. They hold onto each other tightly as he turns and carries her up the staircase to the second floor.

As they reach the top of the stairs Charles lets out a small humph. He thought carrying her to the bedroom would be this incredibly sexy move, but the twinge in his back was saying otherwise. Liza heard him and giggled. She looked down at him and smiled, "You can let me down, old man."

As she slid back down onto her own two feet, Charles spun her around and pulled her to him so that her back was pressed against his chest. He pushed her hair to one side and lowered his head to her neck, his teeth grazing her skin. "Who are you calling old man?" He growled against her skin. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her down the hall and opened the heavy oak door into his bedroom. Turning, he pulled her into another kiss and walked them back into the bedroom.

Liza stepped back for a moment and reached behind her to unzip her dress. Not breaking eye contact with Charles, she pulled the zipper down and pushed the straps off her shoulders. His eyes raked over her body as he undid the buttons of his shirt. Liza stepped out of her dress and kicked her heels off, stepping back in front of Charles. She paused for a moment to admire his toned, athletic torso. He clearly kept himself in excellent shape.

She ran her hands over his chest and pushed his shirt off. She hooked a finger into his belt loop and pulled him back to her. Their bodies were pressed against one another, and each could feel the heat radiating off of the other. Liza lowers her mouth to his neck and shoulders and trails kisses over his chest as she unhooks his belt. Charles takes in a sharp breath as she does so and reaches down with one hand and pushes his trousers down so that they are both standing there in their undergarments.

Charles takes a step to her and picks her up once again, carrying her over to the side of the bed. He gently lays her down and lowers himself onto the bed, positioning himself over her as he lowers his mouth to kiss her once again. Their hands are everywhere, both of them wanting to explore every inch of each other, as they both have been imagining for months. Charles can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He felt absolutely exhilarated, absolutely at peace, in a way that he never had before. He never wanted this night to end.

Liza moaned against Charles' skin as she felt him reach one hand under her and expertly unhook her bra. She reached up and pulled herself against him as he slid the straps off of her shoulders and flung the garment across the room. Lowering her back onto the bed, he whispered huskily in her ear. "Close your eyes." She felt his warm breath on her skin and then his lips on her neck, her collarbone, her chest. She gasped and moaned loudly as he took one of her breasts in his mouth and palmed the other in his large hand. She arched against him as he continued to kiss and lick and suck on her. One of her hands raked through his hair as the other dug into his shoulders.

She shivered as he continued to kiss her abdomen and bucked up against him as his hand grazed over her lace panties. He was going to push her over the edge very soon if he kept this up. She moaned his name as he slid a hand around the waist of her panties and pulled them off of her legs. He kissed up the inside of her legs, to her thighs, and settled his head between her legs. Liza cried out his name and writhed underneath him. Charles could feel himself becoming undone as she moaned his name and arched up against him. He continued his ministrations on her for a few moments and kissed a trail back up to her mouth as he reached down and slipped his boxers off. He brushed her hair out of her face and leaned against her, propped up on one arm. He cupped her face with one hand and leaned down to kiss her.

"I've waited so long for this. For you." Liza's heart soared at his words. He is completely intoxicating, she thought, as she searched his eyes and saw nothing but love and desire. And she definitely felt his desire poking her in the leg. She answered him by arching up against him and reaching one hand up to caress his face.

He lowered his head to take her mouth in his as he settled between her legs and entered her, slowly. He knew he was big and wanted to give her a moment to adjust to him. She moaned into his mouth and tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth. She arched against him and wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him deeper into her. She ran her nails across his back and tugged at his hair. He started to pick up the pace, pulling his lips away from her as he moved faster. He felt her legs contract against him, and he growled deep in his throat, picking up the pace. He felt her tighten against him and she yelled out his name, and that was enough to do him in. He thrust into her one more time and collapsed on top of her, moaning her name as he did so.

They lay, completely satiated, limbs intertwined like that for a moment. Liza could feel Charles' heavy breathing against her shoulder, and she knew that in that moment, they had given in to each other completely. There was definitely no way they could go back to the way they were after this. _Honestly_, she thought, _who would want to?_


	11. The Morning After

The next morning

Liza stirred slowly the next morning, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. It took her a moment to realize where she was when she opened her eyes and saw, not the brick wall of Maggie's loft, but blue-gray walls and white curtains framing a wall of windows. _Charles,_ she thought, smiling and registering the heavy arm that was draped across her hip. She turned her head slightly to take a closer look at his sleeping face. His head lay on the pillow behind her, resting on his other arm. Their legs were intertwined, and Liza could feel the heat radiating off of his body, like her own personal heater.

She pushed herself up a little bit to take a look around. She had never been in his bedroom before and had been a little too preoccupied to take in her surroundings last night. Directly across from the king-sized bed was a large white brick fireplace with a rustic wooden mantle that matched the headboard of the bed. A pair of brown leather wingback chairs were angled in front of the wall of windows, just within reach of a wooden bookcase that was jampacked with novels of all shapes and sizes. Liza smirked as she caught sight of her bra flung over the arm of one of the chairs. A small desk was stationed near the door with a closed laptop on top of it. It was a simple room, but welcoming and well furnished.

As Liza rested her head back on the pillow and turned towards Charles, she felt him stir. Reaching up, she gently ran her hand through his mussed hair. He looked completely at peace and so totally relaxed, and Liza thought to herself that she could never tire of seeing him like this.

Charles opened his eyes slowly, blinking his eyes a few times to adjust to the light. Liza was curled up next to him, her hand gently resting on the side of his face, her fingers running through his hair. He leaned down to kiss her gently and laid his head back on the pillow.

"Good Morning, beautiful."

"Good Morning, handsome. How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I have in months. Years." He answered honestly. He had had a lot of sleepless nights since he met Liza, tossing and turning as she had consumed his thoughts, his dreams. And before that, he had spent his nights staring at the ceiling, obsessing over his failed marriage. _Hopefully_, he thought, as he brushed a strand of hair out of Liza's face, _those days were long behind him. _He wasn't sure how he had gotten so lucky as to have Liza fall into his life, but he didn't intend on letting go anytime soon. Liza smiled and shifted under the sheets so that she was curled into the crook of his arm, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Me too. I think I could stay in this bed all day."

"Oh, really?" Charles said suggestively.

"Yeah, this mattress is amazing! So much better than the one I have at the loft."

Charles laughed and rolled over on top of her, his arms braced on either side of her. He paused and looked at her for a moment. Never had he seen anyone so beautiful. Her eyes were full of laughter and affection, and he loved the way her one eyebrow was always slightly higher than the other – it made her always look a little amused. He loved the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, and how she smiled with her whole face. He loved her, with everything he had.

"I love you, Charles." She said the words before she could stop herself. He made her want to be honest with him, completely. She had loved him for a long time and was falling deeper and deeper in love with him every day.

Charles felt a jolt of electricity flow through his body as she said those 4 words. They were so in sync; they were even thinking the same thing at the same time. "I love you too, Liza. I've been in love with you for a long time. I don't want to waste anymore time not being with you." He lowered himself down to kiss her, slowly, passionately, trying to intimate to her the level of the feelings he had for her. She met his lips with equal passion, and they lost themselves in each other once again.

They finally made their way out of bed about an hour and a half later at 8:30 A.M. The light was pouring in the windows and the sounds of the city were getting louder and harder to ignore. Neither had any plans for the day, so they took their time getting ready. Charles persuaded her to join him in the shower, to "save water", even though they didn't get out until the water ran cold. Charles felt a little thrill when he saw Liza take her toiletries out of her overnight bag and spread them across the second sink in the bathroom. It had been cleared of Pauline's belongings for about two years now, and he loved seeing her set out her toothbrush and hair products.

A half out later, they made their way down to the kitchen. Liza followed Charles down the staircase, admiring how his body looked dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt. She had rarely seen him in anything other than a tailored suit, and she took pleasure in knowing what lay underneath those designer suits now. She hadn't thought it possible, but she though he looked even sexier dressed down for a casual Saturday.

Charles insisted on Liza sitting and relaxing while he pulled together a breakfast of scrambled eggs and pancakes. His forte, he declared, was making breakfast for dinner for Bianca and Nicole. The one meal he was actually good at cooking, he had said, smiling. Liza on the other hand, was enamored with this domestic side of Charles. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that there was a lot to discover about the enigmatic Charles Brooks.

Liza's heart swelled when she listened to Charles talk about his kids. His whole face lit up and she could tell how much the two of them meant to him. She had a lot of questions about their mom, but she was still hesitant to ask them. Truth takes time, she thought, as he slid a cup of coffee across the island to her. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her jeans pocket to see a new text from Kelsey.

_How was your date with Charles?_

She smiled and texted a quick text back: _Excellent! I'm still on it _

_You go girl! I can't wait for details._

"Who's texting you this early?"

Liza set the phone back down. "Kelsey. She wanted to know how our date was. You know, the details." She smirked at Charles as his face reddened.

"Oh god. I won't be able to look her in the face for a month."

Liza laughed. "You have nothing to worry about. Liza Ann Miller does not kiss and tell. Except to Maggie." She shrugged. "Sorry, babe, but she knows every little detail. I can't wait for you to meet her."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. I was going to propose that we have dinner with her tonight, if she's free. Here, or at the loft, wherever."

"I'd love that. I'd love for you to come see the loft. And knowing Maggie, she'd love to put on a feast and interrogate you. Let me text her."

Charles plated their breakfast as Liza exchanged a few texts with Maggie. "She's on board. How about 7:00?"

"Works for me."

"I told her I'd come help get things ready, so I should be back there a few hours before. So, Mr. Brooks, what would you like to do until then?"

"Oh, I'm sure I could think of a few things to occupy our time. But," he said, a little hesitantly, "I'd really love to see a little more of your world. We spend so much time at work, I don't really know what your life is like outside of the office. I thought maybe we could go to Brooklyn. You could show me your world."

"I'd like that. I'd really like that, Charles." She leaned over and kissed him.

They set off for Brooklyn an hour later. Liza insisted he get the full experience and take the subway. They got off on the stop a few blocks from her apartment and for the next two hours she led him around. She showed him her favorite coffee shop, the community garden that she and Maggie worked in and the hole in the wall book store that had become one of her favorite spots. He insisted they go inside, and they perused the shelves, quickly accumulating a stack of books to purchase and sneaking kisses whenever the owner wasn't looking.

A half hour later they spilled back out onto the street, Liza's armed hooked in Charles', and each carrying a small bag of books. Charles had called an Uber as they checked out, and they made their way down the block to the waiting car that would take him back home before coming back in the evening for dinner. Charles leaned down to kiss her goodbye.

"I'll see you later."

"I can't wait. I love you." Liza whispered the last three words to him. Words he would never tire of hearing.

He gave her one last, gentle kiss. "I love you, too. I'll see you tonight."

Liza watched him climb in the car and merge into traffic before heading the two blocks back to her apartment. But as she rounded the corner to her block and looked up towards the apartment, she stopped in her tracks. Sitting on her porch stoop was a brown haired, heavily tattooed 20 something. Josh.


	12. Conversation

Liza stopped in her tracks at the sight of Josh sitting on the stoop outside the apartment. He was looking down at his phone, swiping absentmindedly across his screen. She cleared her throat and stepped towards.

"Josh. What are you doing here?" He looked up and shoved his phone in his pocket. He leaned back and rested his elbows on the steps.

"Liza." He looked her up and down. There was something different about her, something he couldn't quite place. "You look good. Really good."

She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she repeated, shifting the bag of books to her other hand.

"I wanted to talk to you Liza. To see you. I miss you Liza. I miss us."

"Josh," she said, sighing, "There is no us anymore. I think I made that pretty clear."

"Why not, Liza? I've been thinking about things lately. You know, life and shit. I think I can put the whole no kids thing aside."

"You think you can now, but you don't know for sure. I can't, no, I won't be the person that corners you into a life that you might not want in 5 or 10 years. I care about you too much to do that to you." She saw his eyes light up as she said the last sentence and instantly regretted it. Typical Josh, she thought, only really hearing what he wanted to.

She shifted the bag again and set it down on the sidewalk, along with her overnight bag. Josh remained sitting on the steps, running his hand through his carefully tousled hair. _Charles_, she thought, _would have taken those bags from me, asked if I wanted to sit down_.

"The life I want is any life with you, Liza. I love you. It's always been you, Liza."

Her heart wrenched as he said those words. She had never meant to hurt Josh, she did love him, but not the way he loved her. She bent down and reached out to grab his hand. He looked tired, she thought, and a wave of guilt spilled over her.

"Josh, listen to me. I love you. You mean so much to me. I don't think I would be where I am in my life right now if you hadn't come into it. But I am not IN love with you anymore. We are not a long term thing, you and me. There's no way. The path we were going down, it's not what I see for myself. And it's not what you want, even if you don't realize it right now."

Josh clenched his fist in his pocket as he listened. He glanced down, trying to avoid looking her in the eyes, and his eyes fell on the tote bag she had set down. It was the same one she used to bring over when she would stay overnight at his apartment. It didn't have a zipper, and he caught sight of balled up clothing, a pair of heels and a clear bag of toiletries. He clenched his fingers tighter and forced himself to meet her eyes.

"Is there someone else?" He asked coldly, nodding towards her bag. He pulled his hand out of her grasp and stood up. She did too, and nodded.

"There is now. There wasn't then." He didn't need to know that Liza had been having feeling for Charles for months.

Josh rolled his eyes and paced a few steps on the sidewalk, kicking at a loose stone.

"Who? Who is it? Damnit, Liza, I deserve to know who you jumped into bed with a few weeks after breaking up with me. You know, I knew you were a liar, but I didn't take you for a cheater."

She crossed her hands over her chest. "Listen, I just told you that it just started. I'm not lying to you about that. And," she sighed, bracing herself for a new wave of anger, "It's Charles."

Josh stopped and stared at her. "Charles. Your boss, Charles?" Liza nodded again.

"Yes, we're together now."

Josh shook his head and scoffed. "That's just great. Fucking fantastic. Sleeping with your boss, Liza, really? He probably just wants to get with you because he thinks you're 26. Real classy, Liza."

"You have no right to judge me, Josh. I'm sure you haven't exactly been celibate since we broke up. And, for your information, what I have with Charles is real. He knows who I am. He knows everything. I didn't sleep with him until after he knew."

Josh stopped and ran his hands through his hair again. "You told him everything?"

"Yes. I don't want to hurt you, Josh, but that future I didn't see with you – I can see it with him. I'm not going to pretend that it isn't complicated. Neither of us is completely divorced, and we both have kids, and people at work still think I'm a millennial, but we know we want to pursue this."

"Well, then," He rubbed his hand over his face, "I need some time to process this."

Liza picked up her bags and stepped up to the door with her keys. "Take as much time as you need, Josh, but things aren't going to change. We're still over, and I'm with Charles. You need to accept that. He is going to be in my life. You'll probably be seeing him around here. And," she added, "I hope we can get back to being friends, Josh. We were always good at that." She pulled the door open and paused for a moment. "You should know that I told Kelsey, too. She knows everything." She smiled at him, but he just sighed and turned, walking away.

She found Maggie upstairs, putting the finishing touches on her homemade marinara sauce. Maggie had already tidied up and put some wine in the fridge to chill. She would never admit it, but she was very much looking forward to meeting Charles. She could tell that Liza was smitten with him, and had been so for a long time. But she needed to be the aloof but protective best friend tonight, and put the fear of God of him.

Liza put on her best happy face before she walked in, but Maggie could see right through it. She brought her up to speed on the sidewalk confrontation with Josh.

"Liza, it's not your responsibility to lick his wounds and make him feel better. I love Josh, but he needs to move on. You've got your own life to live, and you can't let him weigh you down. Now," she said, arching one eyebrow and taking a sip of her pinot grigio, "You need to tell me all about your night with Charles. Did the Empiriconda live up to the hype?"

Liza laughed, letting all thoughts and guilty feelings about Josh fall from her mind, and true to her word to Charles, told Maggie every little detail of the past 24 hours.

At 10 to 7, Charles rang the buzzer to Liza's apartment. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. He rocked back and forth on his heels, trying to work out his nerves. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He felt more nervous than he had meeting Pauline's parents.

"Who is it?" A woman's voice crackled through the speaker. It was a warm voice with a distinct Brooklyn accent.

"Uhh, it' Charles, Charles Brooks."

"I know who you are, darlin. Come on up."

He took the stairs up the second floor, taking them two steps at a time with his long legs. He reached out to knock on the door, but it swung open before he could do so. Liza grinned at him. She eyed him slowly, appreciating how hot he looked in those dark wash jeans and a black shirt. The top buttons were undo, giving her a peak at his chest underneath. He hadn't shaved, and his stubble made him look ruggedly handsome.

"Hey you." She leaned up to kiss him – without her usual heels she needed to stand on her toes to reach him.

"Hey there beautiful." He handed her the flowers and stepped inside.

"Let me go put these in water. Maggie will be right out." He slipped his coat off and took a look around. It was a good sized loft, with brick walls and wood floors. There was art everywhere, and he was almost overwhelmed by all of the different colors and textures and patterns. He spotted a few distinctly Liza touches, like the manuscript sitting on the coffee table and a picture of her with a young blonde girl, who he assumed was her daughter.

"That's Caitlin." Liza came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'd like for you to meet her."

"Me too."

"Well, well, you must be the famous Charles Brooks." Maggie sauntered out of her bedroom and leaned up against the kitchen island. Maggie had seen a few pictures of him, but he was even taller in person. He smiled and strode over to her, holding out the bottle of wine. Maggie noted the label. It was a $500 bottle.

"And you must be the infamous Maggie Amato. Liza has told me all about you. I'm so glad we are finally able to meet."

Maggie took the bottle and set it on the counter. "Liza has told me a lot about you too." She smirked mischievously and delighted in seeing both Liza and Charles turn red in the face_. They really were perfect for each other_, she thought, _freakishly tall, modest, and bookish._

"Let's crack this baby open, shall we?" Maggie gestured to the wine. "And Charles, you can sit down and tell me all about yourself while Liza pours."

For the next four hours, the food and conversation flowed. Liza was relieved beyond measure to see that her best friend and her man instantly hit it off. They talked about books and music and art and food. And Liza. Maggie asked him a lot of questions, but nothing that crossed the line too much. It warmed Liza's heart to see them converse and crack jokes, and it warmed Maggie's to see the way these two clearly adored each other. Maggie noticed that they rarely weren't touching each other – holding hands at the table, his arm slipping around her when they moved to the living room to relax on the sectional. He may not be from her world, but he fit in quite well to Liza's.

At half past 11, Maggie stifled a small yawn and got up, stretching.

"Well, I think I'm going to call it a night, you two. I've got to get up early and meet Malkie at the community garden. And," she grinned as she walked to the doorway of her bedroom, "I'll make sure to put in my headphones, so feel free to, you know." She winked at Liza before closing the door behind her.

Liza stood up and stretched, lifting her arms above her head. Charles caught a glimpse of her bare stomach as her shirt lifted, and he reached up and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her down on top of him for a kiss. She laughed and shifted so that she was straddling him.

"What time are you picking up the girls tomorrow? Can you stay?"

"I have to be home by 11 to meet my Aunt at the house. So yeah, I can. If you'll have me."

Liza leaned down and put her hands on either side of his face before leaning in to kiss him. She pulled away and searched his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you, Charles Brooks?"

"You saved me, Liza."

She ran her hand gently though his hair, gently rubbing the side of his head with her thumb. "I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve."

Charles recognized it as a quote from Pride and Prejudice, her favorite book, and returned it in kind with another quote from the book, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

"If you insist." Liza leaned in and brushed her lips across his before standing and reaching out a hand to him. He stood and took it, letting her lead him a little further into her world.


	13. The Bubble

The weekend was over way too quickly, and before she knew it, Liza found herself squeezed onto a seat on the subway, headed uptown to the office. Leaning her head back against the wall of the train, the tracks rumbling loudly, she reflected on the last two days…

With the exception of the unexpected Josh visit, it had been a perfect weekend. After dinner on Saturday they had retired to her bedroom and made love again, slowly, but passionately. They had slept soundly in each others arms in Liza's little bed. She smiled at the memory of Charles sprawled out on Sunday morning, his feet hanging off the end of the bed. They had breakfast at their favorite diner, where they had decided, after a lengthy conversation, to stay in their "relationship bubble" at work for a little while longer. They needed to figure out the issue with Liza's age, including how to tell Diana. They would give it a few weeks thought, and go from there.

Liza felt immensely guilty that she was putting Charles in the position of having to lie for her, to lie to people he trusted. She knew he wasn't good at pretending. But he insisted that this is what he wanted, and she knew she could trust him. They had parted on a happy note, and Charles had left to go spend the day with Bianca and Nicole. They had texted on and off all day, Charles sending her pictures of the girls playing at the park and the three of them getting ice cream. They reminded her so much of Caitlin as a young girl, and she couldn't wait until she could spend more time with them. Not as Liza, the babysitter, but as Charles' girlfriend.

Diana was already at the office when she arrived, and she groaned inwardly. She made it a point to try to get there before her. She was in an especially edgy mood, complaining about Richard's college age son, who was apparently crashing at her apartment. It was going to be a long day.

She didn't see Charles until moments before the morning meeting, where they were listening to a pitch from Sophia Bell, a relationship guru with a massive Instagram following and a chart topping podcast. They exchanged sidelong glances and small smiles that sent waves of electricity surging through Liza's veins. She couldn't get over how he could make her blood run hot with just a single glance. Neither David nor Josh had ever accomplished that.

She led the way into the conference room, quietly edging in front of Diana to take the chair next to Charles. Kelsey made eyes at her from across the table and she shot her a pointed glare. She settled in next to him, scooting her chair a little closer.

Sophia made her introductions and dove right into her presentation.

"For too long, couples have been told that open communication is the key to an enduring relationship. Now they'll know the truth. Love is actually feuled by mystery."

Charles shifted in his chair, angling slightly towards Liza. He reached under the desk and lightly trailed his finger over her thigh. He saw her swallow and blush slightly, and traced his finger higher, along the hem of her dress as Sophia continued.

"Mystery is where the erotic thrives. A healthy relationship should feel a little illicit." Emboldened by these words, Liza shifted again so that her leg was pressed against his underneath the table. She saw him breathe in sharply, and smirked.

"Then the question is, what's the line between dangerous and destructive?" Sophia paused for a moment, and Diana impatiently interjected.

"What? What is it?"

Sophia smiled at her and crossed her hands, "Chapter 12."

Everyone laughed, and Charles reluctantly pulled his hand away, but not before resting it on Liza's thigh and squeezing lightly.

Liza sat up a little straighter, crossing her legs. "But doesn't real intimacy come from unltimately requiring real honestly and openness?", she asked, with a sidelong glance at Charles.

"No. Think of intimacy as a place instead of a condition." Sophia leaned on the table. "A place that you go to only with your partner. And it's secluded, it's private, it's like your bubble. And when you are together in that bubble, then what is more exciting than sharing your secrets?" She stepped back and smiled out at the room, seemingly satisfied that she had peaked their interest. Charles stood and shook her hand.

"Thank you so much for coming in. You'll be hearing from us soon." He filed out and everyone followed suite, heading to their respective offices.

A few minutes later, Liza's phone vibrated on her desk. Her heart flipped in her chest as she read the text from Charles.

_Stairwell? I need you. _ Liza glanced up and saw Charles leaning up against the doorframe to her office, phone in hand. Almost imperceptibly, she nodded, and watched as he pocketed his phone and strode casually towards the hall to the stairwell. Liza got up and smoothed her dress. She leaned into Diana's office.

"Diana, I'm going on a coffee run, do you want anything? She shook her head and waved Liza away absentmindly.

Charles was leaning against the brick wall of the stairwell. He strummed his fingers against the railing, waiting for Liza. His Liza. He had had every intention of staying professional at the office today until that damn romance expert had started talking. He hadn't been able to think of anything besides being alone with Liza since he had walked out of the room. She was like a high to him, and he was definitely addicted.

She slipped into the stairwell a moment later, skipping down the steps to where he stood. Charles grabbed either side of her face and kissed her, pushing her up against the wall. Liza mewled underneath him, and he pushed his body up against hers, grinding into her hips. He kept her mouth covered with his as his hand slid down her body and under her skirt. Liza slipped her hand between them and deftly unbuckled the belt on his trousers and slipped her hand inside. Charles growled, biting down on her lower lip as she took ahold of him. His hand continued to roam under her skirt and his fingers found the edge of her panties. He pulled them aside as Liza pushed his pants and boxers down. He pulled back from their kiss and grazed her cheek with one hand as he entered her. Liza moaned again and lifted her leg to wrap around him as he thrust into her. His hand grazed over her mouth, and she bit onto one of her fingers to keep from letting the whole 27th floor know what was going down in this stairwell.

A few minutes later they both leaned against the wall, tidying themselves up. Charles leaned over and smoothed down Liza's hair as she straightened his tie. Neither could contain their smiles.

"That was fun." Liza smoothed down Charle's tie. He was wearing that purple paisley tie she had picked out for him months ago.

"Yes it was. Want to do it again tonight? I'm supposed to have drinks with a friend, but that," he paused, "can be rescheduled." The hopeful look on Charles's face made Liza laugh.

"Down, boy. I would love to, but I'm having dinner with Caitlin tonight. Her art class came to the city today for a tour of the Whitney. I'll call you when I get home from seeing her."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"You will, soon. You'll like her, Charles. Bianca and Nicole actually remind me a lot of her when she was their age."

Charles smiled and kissed her gently. "Until tonight, then."

"Until tonight."


	14. Drinks and Dinner

"Upchuck! What is going on, my man?"

Charles looked up from his seat at the bar where he was meeting his two college roommates, Bob and Jay, for drinks. Bob had texted him moments ago, telling him he would be there in 5, and Jay had just walked in. He grimaced internally at the use of his regrettable college nickname.

"Jay. How are you?"

"Good, good. How's life treating you over at Empirical?"

"It's, it's good." He hesitated to be honest, to tell one of his oldest friends that business was struggling, because as much as he loved Jay, he was a notorious gossip. Bob, at least, was obligated by attorney client privilege to keep his mouth shut.

"That's excellent! Gin and tonic." He added to the bartender. He eyed the pretty blonde for a moment – Jay had always had an eye for the younger women. "I actually met a couple of your proteges at the Hamptons Book Fair last month. A, um, Kourtney Peters, I think. And the other one was Liza Miller. She was something. You sure do hire fine stock over there."

Charles swallowed his scotch slowly. He thought he knew where this conversation was headed, and his blood ran cold. "It's Kelsey, not Kourtney. She runs our Millennial imprint. And Liza is an associate editor with Millennial. And Diana's assistant."

"Poor girl. Quick on her feet, and nice to look at."

"She's very talented. I don't think Kelsey could run that imprint without her."

"Do you know if she is seeing anyone? Liza, I mean, not Kelsey. Haven't been able to get her off of my mind since the fair."

She does have that affect on people, Charles thought, wryly. He was thankfully saved from answering by the arrival of Bob.

The three friends threw back a few drinks and commiserated about their lives for an hour or two. Jay departed first, leaving Bob and Charles to make their way out of the bar together.

"So," Bob began cautiously, "Heard anything from Pauline lately?"

"No, and I don't think I will anytime soon."

"Forgive me if I'm being too nosy, but do you think you would take her back if she did come back?

"I don't think so. It's not that simple, anymore. There's someone else."

Bob took a step back, surprised. "Good for you man. Do I know her?"

"No, but I'd love to introduce her to you and Julia."

"Definitely! How about dinner, Saturday night? Rose will be home from college. She's bringing her roommate down for the weekend. I'll see if I can pin her down for dinner with the old folks."

"That sounds good. I'll check with her and call you tomorrow. Good night, Bob."

Liza

"I wish I could have been there, but no one wants a mom on a class trip." Liza sat outside the small café where she and Caitlin had just finished dinner on the sidewalk patio. They sat nibbling on a shared piece of chocolate cake.

"Agreed. Besides you live here, you can go to the Whitney any day of the week. Gosh, I'm beat," Caitlin yawned, "I can't wait to get on the train and sleep."

Liza scrutinized her, pursing her lips. "You do look pale. Are you done with the antibiotics? You took the whole bottle, right?"

Caitlin sighed. "You're totally momming out on me. But yes I did."

"I'm just trying to make sure you're okay. You had your appendix out, that's a major surgery."

"I'm not the walking wounded, Mom, you are. You're just trying to avoid talking about your breakup with Josh. Are you okay?"

"That's not true. And yes, I am very okay Caitlin. I did the right thing by ending it with Josh. We weren't right for each other, in the end. And," Liza paused, "while I'm not ready to tell you the details, I'm actually seeing someone else now. And I'm happy." Caitlin's eyes widened and she started to spout off a million questions at rapid-fire pace.

"What time is your train again?"

"Right, um, let me use the restroom here before I take off. The ones at Grand Central get too much traffic, if you know what I mean. I hate a warm seat."

"You actually sit down?! Oh, god, I failed you as a mother."

Liza nibbled at the remnants of the slice of cake as she waited for Caitlin. It really was a gorgeous night. Warm, but there was a slight breeze that lifted the hair off of her neck and made her pull her denim jacket a little tighter around her.

"Liza? Liza Miller, right? Jay Malick, from McMillian? We met at the Hamptons." Liza groaned inwardly and swallowed her cake. This was unexpected, and Caitlin would be coming back out in seconds.

"Yes, hi! Hi, nice to see you, Jay."

"You never called me back." He said pointedly.

"Oh, yes. Sorry about that, but you know, I'm very happy at Empirical."

He picked up her phone and a second later his phone buzzed. "Well now I have your number. And," he leaned in closer, "you know, we don't have to talk about our jobs."

Liza smiled politely and nodded.

"Mom, I'm all set. Thanks for dinner." Caitlin paused, taking in her mom and the stranger she was talking to.

"Mom?" Jay said, raising his eyebrows.

"Okay, I guess she's not going to introduce me. I'm the daughter. Caitlin Miller."

"Jay Malick. Nice to meet you, Liza's daughter."

Caitlin leaned down and kissed her mom on the cheek, whispering into her ear, "He's cute", before waving a goodbye and heading down the street.

"So," Jay began, looking expectedly at Liza, "I think we need to talk. Walk with me to the subway?"

Liza climbed into bed a couple hours later, completely exhausted. She had told Jay everything, with the exception of her relationship with Charles. He had taken it surprisingly well, and had actually been sympathetic to her situation. She had almost told him the Charles knew, but Jay had started to prattle off and tell her that she shouldn't tell anyone at work, that it would be a huge scandal. So a secret it stayed.

She changed into her pajamas and crawled under the covers before picking up her phone and Facetiming Charles. He picked up, and she got a glimpse of him walking into his bedroom, shirtless and in pajama bottoms.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Hey, handsome. How was your night?" She laid back against the pillow and watched as Charles climbed into bed.

"It was good. It was nice to catch up with Bob and Jay."

"Jay, like, Jay Malick, from McMillan?"

"Yeah, we were roommates. He asked about you tonight. Wanted to ask you out." Charles smirked.

"Yeah, I know. I ran into him tonight. He saw Caitlin and I. He knows, Charles."

Charles blew out a breath and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Okay. We'll deal with it."

"I mean, he promised me that he wouldn't say anything. He keeps trying to get me to come over and work for him at McMillan." Charles sat up a little at these words. He knew Jay would probably try to get with Liza, but he was honestly surprised that he would try to poach one of Charles's employees.

"We'll figure it out Liza. Jay is a good guy. We'll figure out a way to deal with this. Before I forget, Bob invited us over for dinner on Saturday, if that's okay. He and his wife want to meet you."

"That sounds nice, babe. I'd love to meet some of your friends now that you're meeting mine."

"I'll call him tomorrow and let him know."

Liza smiled and yawned. "Stay on the phone until one of us falls asleep? I want your face to be the last thing I see before I fall asleep."

They both settled back into their beds, watching each other as the made their way into the land of sleep. Charles watched as Liza started to doze off, her hair falling into her face. He reluctantly disconnected the call and reached over to turn off the light. If this is what love was, Charles thought, he didn't think he could ever live without it again.

**The next chapter is going to be a little on the lighter side, and have some Josh-Kelsey-Lauren scenes. And it may find all our favorites at the East River Bar on Friday night, and it may introduce a certain Irish bartender.** As always, reviews/comments/suggestions are appreciated!


	15. Friday Night Feels

Josh's Apartment – Mid Week

Kelsey collapsed onto her bed, kicking her heels off of her feet onto the floor. The last few weeks had been completely crazy, and she felt like it was all finally catching up to her. She had never been one for secrets, for the most part, but she suddenly felt like she was busting at the seams with them.

Keeping Liza's secrets was proving to be harder than she thought. She had forgiven her, and to a point even understood why she had done it. But she was finding herself having to check everything she said before she said it, so that she didn't reveal that Liza was not, in fact, a millennial, and that she was dating the head of the company. Kelsey wouldn't have believed that one if she hadn't seen them together in the office. They couldn't keep their eyes off each other, and on more than one occasion she had seen them both disappear from the office for a few minutes at a time. They were discreet, but Kelsey couldn't believe that no one else noticed, especially Diana_. The day she finds out_, Kelsey thought, _I want to be somewhere far, far away_.

She heard Josh come into the apartment and she sighed quietly. Liza had told her at lunch yesterday that she had told Josh about Charles, and that she had told Kelsey everything. Kelsey knew it was the right thing for Liza to do, but she felt guilty anyways. She had been avoiding him all week. Getting up, she hesitated for a moment before heading down the hall to the living room. Josh was sitting on the couch, a beer already open in his hand.

"Hey there."

"Kelsey." His tone was cool, but not outwardly unfriendly. A good sign.

"So…"

"So how long have you known?"

"Known what?" Josh rolled his eyes at her and downed the rest of his beer.

"About her. About them. About all of it."

Kelsey leaned against the kitchen island. "She told me everything about two week ago. It wasn't my place to tell you about them, Josh. Liza needed to be the one to tell you about them."

"How long do you think it's been going on? Her and…." He swallowed, "Charles?"

"I honestly don't know, Josh. But if she says it just started, I'm going to believe her. Liza made a mistake with this lie about her age, but she is a good person. She's the same person."

"No, she's not. I don't know who she is anymore."

"You still love her, don't you?" Kelsey's heart broke for Josh as she saw the answer clearly written across his face. She liked and respected Charles, and she had the career she had because of him, but Josh was one of her best friends, and it killed her to see him like this.

"Of course, I do, Kels. You know, I was going to propose to her. I had a ring and everything. I was going to come out to the Hamptons and surprise her. But she left me. And started to shack up with her boss. Classy."

"Jesus. I'm sorry, Josh. But you know it's more complicated than that. You need to move on. I know you don't want to hear this, but she is happy with him. This is real, and you need to figure out how to deal with it."

Josh got up and grabbed his jacket, swinging the door open. "Yeah, I know. I'm going to go down and get a few drinks. Wanna come?"

Kelsey wanted to go support him, but she was dead tired. "You know, I think I'm going to pass. I have an early morning and a meeting to prep for."

Josh shrugged and swung the door shut, leaving Kelsey behind to silently curse Liza for putting them all in this situation.

Friday

Friday night found Liza and Charles together once again. They had been "together" for a week that had felt like months. They had been the last to leave the office, and did so together, holding hands as the walked down the sidewalk. Bianca and Nicole were at a sleepover until Sunday, and although Charles felt guilty that he was missing the second weekend in the row with them, he had spent almost every weeknight with them and was thankful that he had two more uninterrupted nights with Liza.

He squeezed her hand as they got out of the car outside her apartment. They had agreed to a night in at the loft, just dinner and a movie. Charles was the one carrying an overnight bag over one shoulder this time. As they swung open the door to the loft, they were greeted by Maggie, grinning happily with her cell phone in one hand and a joint in the other. Charles eyes widened when he saw the joint, but Liza just laughed and waved a hand at him as she kicked off her shoes.

"Liza! You'll never believe what just happened!"

"What?"

"I just sold a dozen of my paintings! This art collector I met a few weeks ago, I just got off the phone with her. She's got a gallery in Tribeca and wants to feature my work!"

"That's amazing!" Liza hugged her friend. "We need to celebrate. Champagne?"

Maggie smiled. "I was thinking a little bigger than that. We should go out." She smiled at Charles, "All of us. You too, Charles. I'll call Lauren and Kelsey. We can go down and meet at ERB."

"ERB?" Charles asked.

"East River Bar. It's great, and it's right around the corner. Please? I know you guys were going to have a quiet night, but where's the fun in that. Plus," She added, "We need to show Charles the wildness of this city that is Brooklyn on a Friday night."

Liza turned to look at Charles, eyes pleading. He laughed and shrugged in surrender. "It sounds fun. Congratulations Maggie. Though I'm thinking I might need to change. I think I might stand out in a Brooklyn bar in a suit."

Maggie and Liza both looked him over and laughed. "Definitely." They said simultaneously.

They pushed their way into the bar a half hour later. Both Liza and Charles had changed their clothes. Charles couldn't remember the last time he had been in a dive bar and had struggled to figure out what to wear. Liza took pity on him and had finally picked out a pair of jeans and a black button up for him. He had had a hard time keeping his hands off her as she had stood picking through his clothes in her underwear before changing into a pair of ripped up jeans and a white tank top. She had slid a black leather jacket on, and Charles had been tempted to pull her down onto the bed and persuade her to stay home for the rest of the night.

"Maggie! Liza!" They were called over by Lauren, who was already perched at a table with Kelsey. The trio wound their way through the crowd to the table. Liza reached back and grabbed Charles' hand.

"And who is this hot piece?" Lauren leaned back and sized Charles up. Liza blushed, but Kelsey spoke up first.

"Lauren, this is Charles Brooks. He's the owner of Empirical. And my boss. And Liza's boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Lauren."

"Yeah, you too. Nicely done, Liza. You know, I adore Josh, but good job on the upgrade."

"Lauren!" Both Kelsey and Liza exclaimed. But Charles laughed it off and leaned down to kiss Liza on the cheek.

"First round is on me. What's everyone want?"

As Charles weaved back towards the bar, Kelsey turned to Liza. "I can't believe you brought Charles here! This is weird."

"You need to get used to it Kelsey. He's going to be around a lot more."

"I know. I'm happy for you Liza. But it's weird for me. Remember who I live with."

"Hey! Look at this, my gang's all here!"

The four girls froze as Josh appeared by their table. Liza could smell on his breath that he had already had a few drinks. He was a little wobbly on his feet and bumped into Liza as he squeezed in between her and Maggie.

"Mags! I haven't seen you in forever. Come to watch us play tonight?" He wrapped his arm around Maggie and Liza searched the crowd for Charles. This is going to be a disaster, she thought.

"Yeah, sweetie."

"Okay, drinks have arrived." Charles stepped up the table, balancing their drinks in his hand. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Josh leaning against the table between Liza and Maggie. Liza moved away from Josh and reached over to take the drinks from Charles. With his hands free, Charles reached out to shake Josh's hand.

"Josh, right? It's nice to see you again."

Josh paused for a moment, surveying Charles. _Who the hell did this guy think he was? Showing up at his bar, with his friends, with his girl. _ He stepped back. He wanted to knock this guy's lights out and he sure as hell wasn't going to shake his hand.

"Yeah, uh, I gotta get back to the band. Talk to you guys later." He stumbled back through the crowd up onto the stage. As he settled onto the barstool, he glanced up to see Liza wrap her arm around Charles and rest her head against him, like she had done so many times with him. He clenched his hand as he saw Charles slip his arm around Liza and slide his hand into the back pocket of her jeans, like it was nothing, like he had done it a million times before. Charles leaned in and said something that made all of the girls laugh, and Josh felt like a knife had been stabbed into his back. His brain was telling him that he needed to move on, that Charles wasn't going to replace him, but his heart was screaming something different. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Liza leaned into Charles, silently trying to smooth over what had just happened. She could feel Charles tensed underneath her hand. Lauren started talking to Maggie about her art, and Kelsey picked up her phone and started texting.

"I'm sorry about that, babe. I didn't know he was going to be here. He usually keeps the studio open late on Fridays during the summer."

"It's okay. Comes with the territory."

"It's not okay, but I love you for saying that. I told him about us last weekend, and I don't think he has taken it well."

"That's an understatement." Kelsey leaned towards them. "I'm sorry, guys, but he's been in rough shape this week. Liza, maybe you guys shouldn't be here tonight."

Charles was more than happy to leave, but Liza squared her shoulders and tossed her hair. "No, we're not leaving. We came out tonight to celebrate with Maggie, and that's what we're going to do. Listen, everyone here knows the truth about me, and all of you are mature enough to deal with it. And you have. And you've all forgiven me, and I love you all for that. He," she said, gesturing towards Josh, "needs to move on. I've talked to him about this and I'm done feeling bad about living my life the way I want to. I'm going to go get another drink." She turned and strode towards the bar, trying to clear her head. She leaned against the bar, waiting for the tiny blonde bartender.

"What can I get you, miss?" Liza was thrown off by the heavy Irish accent.

"A vodka tonic and your accent, for starters."

"Sorry, that's only available in a tiny little village 30 miles outside of Dublin, I'm afraid."

"I've always wanted to go to Ireland. I did a concentration in Irish literature at Dartmouth."

"James Joyce?" The girl smirked, wryly.

"Don't get me wrong, I love James Joyce, but I secretly love Bram Stoker more."

"God love ya and your dark and populist soul. I'm Clare, by the way."

"Liza."

Clare handed her the drink. "Nice to meet you, Liza."

"You too." Liza smiled and made her way back through the crowd. The bar was especially crowded tonight, and she had to lift her drink above her head to avoid spilling it. _Maybe I'm getting too old for this scene_, she thought. She was, she admitted to herself, looking forward to dinner tomorrow night with Charles's friends. A quieter room and mature conversation. No drama.

Or so she thought.


	16. Unexpected Guests

"Well that was an interesting night." Charles collapsed onto the couch a few hours later as Liza flicked on the lights in the living room. She sighed, kicking off her shoes and flopping down next to him, stretching her legs across his lap.

"I'm sorry about Josh. All the drama. You were a saint tonight, and he was a jerk. I'm sorry."

Charles rubbed her feet as she leaned her head back against the pillow. He could tell that she felt bad, and part of him hated this ex-boyfriend of hers for making her feel like that. But part of him pitied him at the same time. He knew what it was like to not have Liza but to want her desperately. It hurt. But she was his now, and all bets were off if Josh tried anything with her.

"Liza, it's not your fault. You can't control his behavior. You've laid all your cards out on the table with him, told him everything, and it's his problem if he can't get over you." He reached over with one hand and caressed her cheek. "You're not an easy person to try and get over. Trust me." She blinked slowly, closing her eyes and nuzzling her cheek into his hand. This man, her man, was so unfailingly kind and understanding and forgiving that it actually made her heart ache. She loved moments like this, when it was just the two of them. When they were alone their troubles just seemed to dissipate. Work and friends and responsibilities and complications just seemed to fade away into oblivion.

Maggie had been the one that suggested that they go home to have some alone time. She had sensed that Charles was growing weary of the crowd and the proximity to Josh. She had seen him later in the evening watch as Liza had stood at the bar talking to the willowy new bartender and grimace when Josh came up to them. Liza thankfully had introduced Josh to Clare and made her way back to the table. Maggie loved Josh, and liked Charles, but the emotions were still a little raw for everyone and she could see that both guys were a little too territorial when it came to Liza. So she had told Liza to head home, that she would hang out for a few more hours so that they could have some time to themselves.

"Where's your head at, Liza?" She opened her eyes again to see Charles gazing at her, concern written all over his face.

"Just thinking about how amazing you are."

"Oh yeah?" She nodded and shifted on the couch so that she was sitting on his lap, one leg on either side of his. She felt his hands slip under her shirt onto her waist as he sat up, moving his feet from the coffee table to rest on the floor and pulling her closer. His hands felt like fire on her skin. His touch lit a fire in her body that seemed to pulse though her veins. She leaned in to kiss his temple, trailing light kisses down the side of his face to his neck and up to his ear. Liza leaned back, running her hands through his hair.

"Whatever did I do to deserve you?"

"You saved me, Liza. You loved me. Despite my flaws, despite my mess, you loved me. For the first time in my life, I don't have to try to be happy. When I'm with you it just happens. You know," he paused, reaching back to grab her hand and pulling it to him, resting it on his chest, over his heart, "I never thought I would love again after she left me. But the first time I saw you, my heart whispered, 'that's the one'. You pulled me out of a very dark place, and I am just so grateful to have you in my life."

Liza smiled and wiped a tear from her eye with her free hand as Charles held onto the other. She could feel his heart beating under her palm, strong and steady. That's who he was to her – her strong and steadfast pillar, one of the only people she had in her life that she wholeheartedly knew she could fall back on, rely on. She leaned in to kiss him, gently at first, then opening her mouth and deepening the kiss. She wasn't sure she could convey in words her feelings for Charles as poetically as he had his, but she intended to show him.

Almost as if he was able to read her mind, she felt Charles wrap his arms around her as he stood, bringing her up with him. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her across the loft and through the open door to her bedroom. He used their bodies to close the door behind them, pinning Liza between the door and himself. He let her legs slide to the ground, but hitched one leg back up, his hand wrapped around her thigh as he ground his hips into her. She nipped at his lower lip and moved her hands between them to unbutton his shirt, trailing kisses down his chest and abdomen until she reached the final button, pulling his shirt out of his jeans and sliding it down his arms. He pulled her back up to him, crushing his lips against his as he slid her jacket off of her arms and pulled her top over her head. He expertly unhooked her bra with one hand and slid the straps off of her shoulders. They each reached down and unhooked their jeans, pulling them down with their underwear so they both stood there, bare to each other

Liza stepped back to him and pulled his head down to her in a slow, passionate kiss. She turned them slightly and pushed Charles gently back so that his legs buckled, and he fell onto the bed. She bit her lip to keep from laughing when his head almost hit the bookcase behind them. Before she joined him on the bed, she turned to turn off the overhead light, basking them only in the light from her bedside table. As she turned, Charles caught a glimpse of something he hadn't noticed before.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo." He said huskily, gesturing for her to come closer. He ran his hand over the ink. It was an hourglass on its side, the sand level on each half of the glass, with leaves coiled around the outside. It was beautifully done, from what he could tell, and it only took him seconds to realize who had probably given it to her.

Liza turned from where she sat on the edge of the bed to look at him. "It's supposed to represent the concept of living in the moment. Time standing still." A shadow crossed over her face for a fleeting moment. "I got it when I was with Josh."

"It's sexy. I like it." Liza smiled and crawled up onto the bed, straddling Charles. As their lips met their bodies seemed to melt together. Charles had sat up a little, resting his back against the wall of books behind them and he could feel every inch of Liza pressed against him. He ground his hips against her, and she moaned, throwing her head back. He leaned forward and kissed her neck, trailing warm kisses down to her clavicle. He took one of her breasts in his mouth, his hands trailing down her sides, across her back. Liza grasped onto his shoulder with one hand and ran her other through his hair, lifting her hips slightly to allow him to slip inside her. She started to cry out, but Charles met her mouth with his, silencing her. They started to move together, slowly, rhythmically, guiding each other into their blissful oblivion.

Saturday Night

"You ready?" Charles grasped Liza's hand as they stood outside the door to Bob and Julia's home. She nodded, squeezing his hand and smoothing the skirt of her dress with the other. Part of her was a little nervous to meet Bob. From the little bits that Charles had told him, he was his college roommate and closest friend. He was also his lawyer.

Charles reached out and pressed the doorbell for the apartment. Bob and Julia lived in a simple but elegant two-story apartment on the Upper East Side. Charles smiled reassuringly at her as the door swung open.

"Charles! Come in, come in." Bob held the door open for the two of them and stepped up to shake Liza's hand.

"And you must be…wait, Liza? Liza Miller, right?"

Liza furrowed her brow. This guy looked very familiar. She started to open her mouth, but his wife stepped into the entryway and everything clicked.

"Ohmygod! You're Rose's parents!" They were also, she thought, the couple she had seen Charles with the night she was supposed to meet him at the Carlyle.

Charles looked between them, confused. "What is going on?" He asked, thoroughly confused. "You all know each other?"

Liza laughed. "Bob and Julia's daughter Rose is Caitlin's roommate at Vassar. I met them at orientation. It's good to see the two of you."

Bob smiled but shook his head and gestured at Liza and Charles. "But how do the two of you know each other?"

Charles took Liza's hand. "Liza works at Empirical. She's an Associate Editor. And, my girlfriend." He gave Bob a look to indicate to move on from the subject, that they would talk about things later.

"Well," Julia said diplomatically, "I don't mean to make things more complicated, but Rose is home for the weekend. She brought Caitlin with her. They're upstairs and are planning on joining us for dinner.

Both Charles and Liza blanched. Charles had completely forgotten that Bob had said that Rose and her roommate would be around. Liza let out a nervous laugh. "Well, this will be interesting. Time to meet the family, babe." She patted Charles on the forearm.

"I'll get us drinks." Bob suggested. Julie smiled for a moment before saying something about the kitchen and scurrying back through the doorway from which she entered, leaving Liza and Charles alone for a moment.

"It'll be fine, sweetie." Charles smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead.

"This is not how I wanted her to find out about us. I don't wait her to feel like I'm ambushing her. Like we're ambushing her."

"Liza, she's almost 20 years old. She's an adult." Liza sighed, and rolled her shoulders back.

"Here we go," Bob carried two martini glasses to the couple in front of him and gestured for them to follow him into the living room. Julia came back into the room and sat down next to her husband. Liza sat down next to Charles on the sofa, where he placed one arm around her, rubbing her shoulder.

"Dinner should be ready in about 20 minutes, according to Louisa, and Rose just texted me to tell me that she and Caitlin would be down in about 10 minutes." Liza smiled, tightly, her mind running a mile a minute. God only knew how Caitlin would react.

"So," Bob began, "How long have you two been seeing each other?" He cocked his head at his friend.

Charles cleared his throat. "Well, officially, only a couple weeks. But it feels like a lot longer. We're very happy." He added the last bit with a pointed glare at Bob.

"Liza, tell us more about your job at Empirical. Charles said you're an editor?" Julia chimed in, sensing the vibe between her husband and Charles.

"Well, I'm an Associate Editor with our new imprint, but I'm also Diana Trout's assistant. Our head of marketing."

"Sounds like you keep busy."

"Definitely. But I love it. I worked at Random House right out of college, but I quit to raise Caitlin. I'm definitely lucky to have this job. And even luckier to have this guy in my life." She leaned into Charles, resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned down to kiss her lightly, and Bob found himself surprised at how serene his best friend seemed. Calmer and happier than he had been in a long time. In love.

"Uncle Charles!" Rose bounced into the room, running to Charles, who stood up to hug her.

"Mom?" Caitlin stood in the doorway, looking like someone had clubbed her on the back of the head. "What are you doing here? What's going on?" Liza stood, walking over to Caitlin.

"Caitlin, this is the man that I'm seeing. The one I told you about earlier this week, remember? This is Charles Brooks."

Charles strode over to Caitlin and held out a hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Caitlin. Your mom has told me so much about you." Caitlin took his hand, shaking it hesitantly and looking up at down at the giant of a man. He stepped back, wrapping his arm around Liza's waist.

"Uh, Mom, can we talk for a sec? Privately?" She started to pull Liza towards the doorway. Liza turned back to the group, "We'll be back in just a moment. Excuse us." She followed Caitlin into the hallway and out the front door.

"I'm so confused, Mom. Who is he? Why are you here at Rose's parents' house?" Liza sat down on the bench next to the door and gestured for Caitlin to join her.

"Like I said, Charles is the man that I'm seeing. I'm sorry that you're meeting him like this. I was going to have you over for dinner in a few weeks to meet him. But I really want you to get to know him. He's great. And I'm in love with him."

"How do you know him; how does he know Rose's parents?"

"He is Bob's best friend. They went to Princeton together. And I work with Charles." She paused, "I work for him."

Caitlin furrowed her brow, frowning. "What?"

"Charles owns a publishing company. Empirical Press. I work there. That's how I met him. I've known him for over a year, but we just started seeing each other a few weeks ago."

"Is he why you broke up with Josh?"

"He is part of the reason, yes. I've had feelings for him for quite a while. But Josh and I broke up for all the reasons I've already told you. I can see a future with Charles. I couldn't with Josh."

Caitlin exhaled slowly, nodding her head as if to try and process all of this.

"And it's cool that you work for him but you're dating? That seems kind of shifty to me."

"We're trying to figure that out. But it's his company. We're making this decision together. There's nothing 'shifty' going on. It's still new, but it's serious, Caitlin."

Liza stood, effectively ending the conversation. "I know you have questions, but this isn't the time. Please just keep an open mind. You'll really like him if you get to know him, I promise. He's a wonderful man." She opened the door to the apartment and gestured for Caitlin to reenter. They were met in the hallway by the other four, who were walking into the dining room for dinner. Charles met Liza's eyes and tilted his head questioningly. She smiled and nodded slightly to indicate to him that everything was all right. She reached out and took his hand.

Caitlin followed them in, watching her mom interact with this guy. Watched her smile at him, hold his hand, lean over and kiss him as he sat down after pulling out her chair for her. She'd never seen her mom act like this with her Dad, and she'd always been kind of edgy whenever they were together with Josh. They seemed genuinely happy, but Caitlin wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily.

"I think that went well." Charles said as they got in the car a few hours later.

Liza blew out a big sigh, nodding. "Surprisingly well. Caitlin listened to me and was on her best behavior. She asked you too many questions, though. It felt like an interrogation room in there for a bit." Charles chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey, she's entitled. If Bianca and Nicole didn't already know and adore you, they'd do the same thing. By the way, I was thinking you could come spend next weekend with us. I want to introduce you to them as my girlfriend."

"I'd love to, but you don't think it's too soon?"

"Not in the slightest. I want my girls to be together. All of them."

"In that case," She leaned up and kissed him. "I would love to."

"I like Caitlin. She's spunky. And smart. Just like her mother." Liza smiled and laughed, pulling her phone out as it buzzed. A text from Caitlin.

_I had fun tonight, Mom. I like him, and I like seeing you happy. Plus, I just talked to Rose about him and she had nothing but nice things to say about him. Talk soon. XX_

Liza grinned and handed the phone over to Charles. He smiled as he read, and then switched the phone over to the camera. "C 'mere." Liza leaned in and Charles took a few pictures of them, faces pressed against each other, and one of them kissing. He handed the phone back to her. "Our first pictures together."

They talked about the dinner the rest of the way home, and Charles had filled Liza in on the conversation he had had post dinner with Bob in his study. Bob, ever the lawyer, had congratulated Charles on finding happiness, but cautioned him about being involved with an employee. Bob also had put two and two together and realized that Liza was the "young assistant" that Charles had pined over many months ago and had questioned him about that. Charles had confessed that Liza hadn't been entirely truthful about her age and that they did need to figure out how to navigate those particular waters.

"I thought he seemed a little leery of me after that two of you came back out. I'd love to talk to him, explain the situation from my point of view." She was worried that Bob may try to discourage Charles from continuing this relationship if he thought his best friend would get hurt somewhere along the way.

"That would help, I think. But he does like you, Liza. He told me that he thought we were a perfect match."

The car pulled up outside of Liza's apartment, and Charles opened the door and slid out to let Liza out. He was headed home alone tonight because he had to pick the girls up early in the morning and wanted to spend the day with them. They kissed goodbye, reluctant to end their time together. Liza finally stepped back. "Talk tomorrow?"

Charles nodded, climbing back in and rolling down the window when he closed the door. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. And I'll see you Monday." The car started to pull away, and she watched as it drove off into the night. She couldn't remember a time when her life was this perfect, when she was this content, and she didn't want anything to change. Nothing could ruin her happiness.

**Unfortunately introducing our least favorite blonde absentee mom in the next chapter. I'm undecided on when and how I want her and Diana to find out the truth about Liza's age and the relationship, so I welcome any suggestions! 😊**


	17. Pitchfest

Over the course of the next few weeks, Charles and Liza fell into a steady, comfortable routine. Now that most of the people in their lives knew about the relationship, the drama had subsided and the two of them had the opportunity to enjoy themselves without the worry.

The last 3 weeks of May passed quickly, what with Liza helping Caitlin move home from Vassar. She had secured a summer internship at MOMA, working with the summer programs and camps for kids. A week before classes ended she had come to the loft to have dinner with her mom, Maggie and Charles, and had announced that she was finally declaring a major – education, with a minor in art and culture. She had applied for the internship a few months back and the museum had accepted her. She would be living with 3 other interns in a small apartment supplied by the museum. Liza was thrilled to have Caitlin in the city with her rather than her working at David's dentist office in Jersey.

Charles was also busy securing plans for Bianca and Nicole for the summer. They had both come home from school one day in early May with packets from the school full of suggestions for summer programs and camps. It was overwhelming. He had shown up at Liza's apartment the next night, at a loss for what to do. He admitted, somewhat ashamed, that Pauline had always taken care of their summer plans. Liza had taken pity on him, poured them some wine, and sat down to go through the piles of pamphlets. Charles had watched her, sitting at the kitchen island in shorts and a tank top, hair in a messy bun and reading glasses perched on her nose, and had fallen even more in love with her. He hadn't thought that was possible. She had suggested a couple of programs for the girls – a two-week horse camp in Westchester and one of the July art programs at MOMA that Caitlin would be assisting with.

Liza had only been able to spend a few nights and afternoons with Bianca and Nicole so far. She had met them with Charles at Central Park one afternoon, spending a few hours flying kites and having a picnic on the grass. He had also had to go out of town for work for two days, so she had stayed at the brownstone with them. They hadn't officially announced their relationship to the girls, and Liza was pretty sure they still thought she was the "best babysitter ever" as Bianca had referred to her. Charles had kept the PDA to a minimum around the girls, opting for cheek kisses and discreet hand holding. She knew he was trying to ease them into have a new "mom" figure in their life and he didn't want to confuse them. She loved that he was so considerate of his children's feelings, but part of her was getting frustrated that they were still keeping their relationship under the radar. She wanted to hold hands with him everywhere, wanted to wake up at the brownstone and make the girls breakfast.

Work was as busy as ever. Liza and Kelsey were busy with promoting the Emily Burns labradoodle book, which had turned into a sleeper hit that Charles had announced was doing wonders for Empirical's bottom line. He had also hired a new editor, Zane Anders, to replace a retiring editor. Liza thought that Zane, an overly confident 28-year-old, was too smug, too pretty for his own good. He had jumped ship from a rival publishing house, Rivington, bringing a small handful of authors with him.

Kelsey had confided in Liza that she had been having an ongoing "thing" with Zane, and that she had even tried to poach one of his authors before he had jumped ship to Empirical. Liza thought that Kelsey would benefit from a little less "benefiting", as her relationship with Colin had just fallen apart a week before meeting Zane, but Liza held her tongue. It wasn't her place to judge. Kelsey had also reported to her that Josh had started dating Clare, the Irish bartender that Liza had introduced him to. Liza was happy to hear that he was moving on and not bothering her or Charles anymore. Kelsey wanted to approach the idea of Josh doing a coloring book for millennial of his tattoo designs, but wanted to wait a bit before bringing it to both Charles and Josh. Liza thought it was a great idea, even if she didn't relish the thought of her ex and her boyfriend working in close proximity to each other. But they were all adults, weren't they?

Liza got up early on the first Monday in June. She had crept out of her bed to get ready, trying not to wake Charles. He had dropped the girls off at their horse camp yesterday and spent the night at Liza's. She smiled as she stood in front of the mirror, remembering the night before. She was feeling things she had never felt before when she was with Charles. Before she had been with him, she never would have imagined that the buttoned up business man would have been so sexual, so primal. Her whole body ached, but in a good way. CrossFit had nothing on a few hours in bed with Charles Brooks.

She heard a rustling behind her as she put her earrings in and saw him rise out of bed in the reflection of the mirror. He was naked except for his black briefs as he came up behind her and put his hands on her hips.

She grins as she feels him come up behind her. "Good Morning, handsome." He smiles slowly and leans down to kiss her neck, but winces, putting his hand up to his neck. She turns, concerned, when she see's the look of pain on his face. "Are you okay?" She asks, reaching up to lightly touch his chest.

"Uh, we gotta talk about your bed." Charles murmurs, turning his head slightly to test his range of motion.

"What's wrong with my bed?" Liza asks, laughing lightly.

"It's um, it's somewhat child sized." Liza giggled. "No, it's cozy."

Charles grinned at her, "Yeah, well my neck says differently."

Liza smiled up at him, her eyes lighting up. "I know why your neck is sore. And thank you."

"You're welcome." He said huskily, leaning down to kiss her with his hand still bracing his neck. "But we need to get you a new bed. Preferably one where my feet don't hang off the end." She tilted her head up to kiss him, nipping playfully at his bottom lip. "I'll get right on that, Mr., but right now we both need to get to work."

Charles flopped back on the bed. "I know. I have a meeting with Kelsey and Zane and Lachlan Flynn, the mystery author Zane brought over from Rivington. Kelsey wants him to do a book for Millennial, and Zane is pushing back on that." Liza sighed and leaned down to slip on her heels. "Good luck with that. Those two bicker worse than teenagers."

Charles sat up, resting his elbows on the bed. "Is there something going on there that I should know about?" Liza rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I don't even know anymore. There was, but I don't know if there's anything going on right now. They're both too competitive for their own good."

"Good to know. What are you doing today?"

"Kelsey is having me go to Pitchfest today. She didn't want to waste the day sitting there listening to half baked book ideas, so she's sending me instead."

Charles shrugged as he got up and pulled his suit out of the garment bag hanging on the back of Liza's bedroom door. "Hey, you never know, you might find the next big book of the summer there, but," he added, smirking as he headed to take a shower, "Don't hold your breath."

By midafternoon Liza was silently cursing Kelsey for sticking this event on her. So far she had heard story pitches that made the Empirical slush pile look like a stack of Pulitzer prize winners. She was about ready to call it quits at 3:00 when a pretty blonde woman slid into the seat in front of her, a bound set of pages clutched in her hand.

"Hi, you're Liza, right? Millennial Print?" Liza put her phone down as the women spoke.

"Yes, hi."

The woman shifted in her seat and Liza could tell she was a little nervous. "So, I don't know how this works. Do I just….?"

"Just tell me about your idea. Just jump right in."

"Okay, um, well, my book is kind of like "Primates of Park Avenue" meets Nora Ephron's 'Heartburn'".

"You had me at heartburn." The woman laughed nervously.

"Well, I guess it's kind of Creative Writing 101, you know? Write what you know. I got married pretty quick after college, had kids, did the things you think you're meant to do. My husband is a businessman, and I sort of stepped back and let him steer the ship, which moored us on the Upper East Side, and, whoa, was I out of my depths. Pickups, drop offs, hosting and attending galas and charity events. I suddenly had no time to work, to write. I just lost sight of who I was, as a writer, as a woman, you know? It sounds so selfish and ungrateful, but married life just stifled me. I needed a break. A marriage vacation."

Liza was intrigued by this woman, by this book. "I totally get it. It sounds promising."

"But is it too heavy for your imprint? I mean, I read about you guys in EW's 29 under 29, so I know you generally skew younger. Would it be more of an Empirical book?"

Liza paused for a moment. "You know, actually, I think it could appeal to millennial readers as a cautionary tale you know, understand what marriage is, go in with eyes wide open."

"Oh, I love that take. Look, here's the first chapter. I have written the whole book, but it's a work in progress. If you read that and you're interested, my email is inside the front cover. It's a work in progress, but I'd be happy to send you the rest if you like what you read."

"Thank you so much, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Pau, Paula. Paula Turner." She reached out and shook Liza's hand. It's so nice to meet you, Liza."

Liza watched the woman walk away. Maybe she had found something at Pitchfest, after all. She spent the last hour of the event sitting at her table, flying through the chapter that Paula had given her. It was very well written. Her prose was literary grade, but it was witty and relatable. She pulled out her tablet and typed out a quick email to Paula_. I just finished the first chapter, and I'd love to see some more. Can you meet me tonight? I'd love to talk some more and see the rest._

She also typed out a text to Charles_. Lucked out at Pitchfest. I think I've got a winner. First chapter of her book is fantastic. Hopefully meeting her in a bit to get the rest of her chapters. Book is already written. Can I come over later? _

She started to pack up her things and head out. Her phone vibrated again, and she saw the reply from Charles. _Glad to hear it wasn't a total waste. And yes, definitely. Stay over tonight. _Her phone vibrated again with an email from Paula, suggesting that they meet at a coffeeshop in Soho in an hour. This was turning out to be a pretty good day.

Liza bounded up the steps to the brownstone a few hours later. She had just come from meeting Paula. They had talked for almost two hours. Liza liked her. She was smart, funny, witty and humble. She could see them becoming friends. Liza had skimmed some of the pages with her and had been happy to see that the quality of the writing was consistent. If they decided to publish it, they could easily have it ready for mid-summer release. Liza suggested that Paula come in on Thursday morning to meet with the rest of the team. That would give Charles, Kelsey and Diana to read at least a few chapters and get an idea of how to move forward. She had agreed, though Liza had noticed that she seemed a little squirrely. _Probably just nerves_, Liza thought, not thinking much of it.

Charles opened the door before she could knock. He had already changed out of his work clothes and looked like he had just gotten out of the shower. His hair was still a little damp, and he wore a black t shirt and jeans. He leaned in the doorway, barefoot, and Liza thought he looked absolutely delicious. He pulled her into the house before she could say anything and kissed her as he kicked the door shut. He backed her up against the wall, one leg between hers. Liza moaned into his mouth and pushed her hips up against his. _God_, she thought, as his hands slid down her body, _would they ever tire of this? Their love and desire for each other was insatiable. _

They stayed like that for a moment before Liza pried herself away from him. "As much as I would love to continue that, I'm famished, and I need to get out of these shoes. I tried texting you when I left the coffeeshop to see if you wanted me to pick up dinner, but I never heard back."

Charles took her bag from her and set it down on the floor, walking over to the bar cart to pour them each a drink. "Yeah, I forgot my cell phone at the office. Someone should be running it over soon. Diana was still there when I called from here, and said she'd have a messenger run it over. Here," he said, handing her a drink, "How about I order something while you go change? Or we could just go upstairs and work up an appetite and then eat." He grinned suggestively. Liza laughed, settling into his lap in one of the chairs in the foyer.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She leaned down and kissed him before whispering into his ear, "Order a pizza." She bounced up, swallowing the rest of her drink. She leaned over him in the chair again, kissing him deeply before pulling away and climbing upstairs. _That woman_, Charles thought, as he reached over and grabbed the cordless landline, _will be the death of me. _

Charles was polishing off his scotch, waiting for Liza, when the doorbell rang. His phone, he thought. It was sad how connected he was to that phone, but with children, it was necessary. If something happened to Bianca and Nicole, he needed that phone. He swung the door open and was surprised to see Diana standing in his doorway, not a messenger.

"Diana! I thought you were sending someone to drop off my phone. You didn't have to come all the way up here." She smiled tightly and stepped into the entryway without waiting for an invitation.

"Like I would trust one of those idiots with our CEO's phone. Besides, since Richard and I broke up, it's not like I have anything to go home to. I'm in no rush." She said it briskly, but in a way that made Charles uneasy. He hoped she wasn't looking for an invitation to stay. She reached into her bag and pulled his phone out handing it to him. As he took it from her, he heard a door upstairs close and grimaced. Diana tilted her head, and he knew she had heard it too.

"I thought your girls were at camp upstate?" She stared at him, expectantly.

"Hey, babe, is that the pizza? I'm starved." Liza froze halfway down the stairs as she saw the scene at the bottom. _No, no, this is not happening_, she thought.

Diana looked slowly from Charles up to the stairs, where her assistant stood, barefoot, in shorts and what looked like one of Charles's shirts. Her eyes traveled over the scene in front of her. Two empty glasses of scotch sitting on an end table, one stained with lipstick. A pair of black heels tossed carelessly by the door. And Liza's work bag, leaning against the archway. She turned her head slowly back to Charles, incredulous.

"Diana, please let me explain." Charles slid the phone into his pocket and reached out to take Diana by the shoulder, to guide her to a chair. But she stepped back, her face unreadable, and put her hands up as if to push him away.

"No need. I know exactly what is going on here. I expected better of you. Of both of you." She glared at Liza. "Sleeping with an assistant, Charles, really? You know, I thought you were different. But you're just like the rest of them, aren't you? Always looking to trade up for a newer model." She said scornfully, before turning to Liza. "And you, I don't even know what to say to you. I've always known you were a little boy crazy, but sleeping with your boss to get ahead, really, Liza? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Both of you." She turned to leave, her head spinning at the sight she had just taken in.

"Diana, wait!" She had almost made it to the door when Liza called out. She heard her scurry down the stairs and across the hall. She could hear the pain in Liza's voice, and that was the only reason she stopped. She would never admit it to anyone, but she cared deeply for Liza. Liza stopped a few feet away, standing next to Charles. "Please let us explain. It's not what it looks like, I can promise you that. Just hear us out."

"Please, Diana," Charles added, as he slid an arm around Liza's shoulders. "Just stay and let us explain. Look, we ordered a pizza and it should be here any minute. Have dinner with us?"

Diana sighed deeply. All she wanted to do was storm out, but she knew that she should hear Charles out. He was still her boss, and she considered him a friend. "Fine. But get me a glass of wine, Liza. I think I'm going to be needing it."

Liza scurried into the kitchen and busied herself with pouring 3 glasses of wine as her mind raced. _This was not how this was supposed to happen_, she thought. We had finally come up with plan. She was going to sit down with Diana at work and tell her about her age, and then she and Charles would tell her about their relationship, together. A united front.

"Hey, you okay?" Charles stepped into the kitchen, balancing a pizza box in his hand. His face reflected hers, full of concern.

"Yeah, yeah. Just thrown for a loop, I guess. Of course, this happens right after we had finally decided on how to tell her. Now I've just got to tell her everything." Charles leaned past her to pull some plates out of a cupboard. "I know, but at least she knows now. I've known Diana for a long time. I think once we explain everything, rationally, she'll accept it. She's just dramatic. Let's get in there before she changes her mind." Liza picked up the glasses and turned to walk back to the dining room. "At least one good thing will come out of this."

"What's that?"

"I'll get to see Diana eat a slice of pizza. That's never happened before." Charles laughed, and followed Liza back out to face the music.

"So," Diana started, once Liza had dispersed wine and napkins, "one of you better start explaining."

Liza took a sip of wine. "Before we start talking about this," she gestured between her and Charles, "there is something else I need to tell you Diana."

"What else could there possibly be?" Diana leaned back in her chair; her arms crossed.

"I'm not in my twenties. I'm 40, not 26." She watched as Diana reached over and picked up her wine glass, draining it, and reached over for the open bottle to fill it up again.

"Why?"

"The long and short of it is, I quit my job in publishing in my twenties after I got married and had a daughter. I found out almost two years ago that my husband was cheating on me and had drained our savings. I had to sell our house, and I moved to Brooklyn to stay with my best friend, Maggie. I tried to get a job in publishing again, but when people saw that I was 40, no one wanted to hire me. So, I lied about my age when I applied for the job as your assistant."

Diana nodded and took a bite of pizza, chewing slowly. She turned to Charles. "How long have you known?"

"About 2 months. Listen, Diana, I'm sure you're upset. I was too, when Liza told me. But her age is just one miniscule detail. There is so much more to Liza, and for me, it doesn't change how I feel about her. She's amazing. You know that, even if you won't admit it." He reached up and put his hand on top of Liza's on the table.

"Who else knows?"

"At work? Kelsey and Charles. Cheryl Sussman from Plaza – I worked with her at Random House. And the author of The Deciding Decade. I was one of her case studies. Besides that, Josh, Maggie and Lauren."

"And my attorney, Bob. You've met him Diana." She nodded, processing everything that she was hearing. "We're not denying that this is complicated. But we're trying to figure it out."

"Okay. I'm not mad, Liza. I'm disappointed that you felt like you couldn't come to me with this earlier."

"Diana, I wanted to, so many times. I tried to tell you both, so many times, but something always got in the way. I know that sounds like a lame excuse, but it's the truth."

"If you were anyone else, Liza, I would be insistent that you be fired. But I can admit that you have become an important part of the team. It might be awhile before I can fully trust you again, but your job is safe."

"Thank you so much Diana. You have no idea how much it means to me that you are supportive of me. I appreciate it so much. I appreciate you so much."

"Pull yourself together, Liza. Groveling is not attractive. Now," she waved her hand between Liza and Charles, "when did this happen?"

Charles took this one. "Officially, it's been just over a month. But there have been feelings for a while. Honestly, since the moment I met her, Diana. We're in love, we're happy."

She nodded, finishing the rest of her wine and standing up. "Well, this has been an interesting night. I have a lot to think about. I'll see you both at work tomorrow." And as abruptly as she had come in, she left, leaving Liza and Charles sitting at table. They looked at each other and started laughing.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would!" Liza stood to clear the table, and Charles joined her.

"I agree. I thought she was going to ask me to fire you! That would have been awkward." They chuckled and loaded the dishwasher together. They both felt the weight lifted off of their shoulders.

"I have an idea on how we can work things out so we can officially go public, at work too, but I'm not going to tell you until I run through it with Bob. I think it'll work though." Charles leaned in to kiss her. "I can't wait until I can finally hold your hand in the office. And in the street. Everywhere. The way that he has wanted to do for as long as he can remember."

Liza wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers gently through his hair. "I would love that. I love you, Charles."

"I love you too, Liza." He nuzzled her neck, kissing her, his teeth grazing the skin. She shivered.

"Hey, before we get too distracted, I want to show you something." He kept kissing her as she pulled away, reaching for her bag, which was sitting on the counter behind her. She pulled the first chapter of the book she had found this afternoon out and pushed it between them. "You need to read this. It's the first chapter of the book I found at Pitchfest. I think we should publish this. I think we need to."

Charles pulled back and took the bound pages from her. His eyes darkened and the smile fell from his face as his eyes slid over the cover, the author's name.

"P. Turner. What did she look like?"

"Why?" Charles tossed the pages onto the counter and walked over to a cabinet in the corner. He pulled out a framed picture and walked back, pushing the frame into Liza's hand.

"How do you have a picture with Paula?"

Charles signed and stepped back, rubbing his hand over his face. "Because I was married to her. Your new author is Pauline. My wife."


	18. Hard Conversations

2:27 AM

Liza blinked sleepily, turning her head to check the time on the alarm clock on Charles's bedside table. The covers on his side of the bed were still smooth, still untouched. She leaned her head back onto the pillow, massaging her temples. She thought her head might explode. She was angry and upset, but most of all she was worried.

After Charles had shown her that picture, they had both stood in the kitchen for a few moments in stunned silence. She had a million questions, but Charles had grabbed the manuscript and muttered something about "need to read this and call Bob." He had taken the papers and disappeared into his study before Liza could even respond. She just stood there, looking down at the framed picture in her hands. In it, Charles and Paula, sorry, Pauline, had their arms wrapped around each other, their faces pressed against each other. They each held one of the girls to them. Judging by the ages of the kids, it had been taken 2 or 3 years ago. _They look like the perfect family_, Liza thought, tears stinging at her eyes.

She had gone to knock on the door to the study but had hesitated even as her hand lifted to rap on the heavy wooden door. Instead, she paced around the first floor of the house. She tidied, fluffed pillows, emptied the dishwasher. She gathered her shoes and her bag, unsure if Charles would want her to stay or want to be alone tonight. She finally settled into a chair by the front window. She pulled her knees up to her chest, staring out onto the street and trying to sort out her thoughts.

"Liza?" She heard him call softly. She turned her head and stood up, crossing to where he stood in the hallway. "I wasn't sure if you were still here."

"I'm not leaving unless you want me to, Charles. You shouldn't have to be alone." He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry for that abrupt exit. But I read the chapters." Liza pulled back, looking up at him.

"It must have been awful to have your life mischaracterized this way. I can't believe that she did this."

He sighed. "Actually, some of it is pretty honest. I mean, she embellished a lot, but parts of it are true. She made some parallels to me, to our marriage, and I'm just not sure what to do next."

"Maybe you should call her."

"Maybe. Listen, I'm going to read the rest of the chapters. You said you have them, right? And I'm going to call Bob. Figure out what to do. You should go to bed."

Liza nodded, leaning back in to hug him. She rubbed her hands over his back soothingly as he leaned down to kiss her lightly. "I'll be up in a bit." He turned and walked back to his study, closing the door behind him. And for the first time since she had started staying overnight with Charles, she went to bed alone.

Liza flung her legs off of the bed, slipping her feet into a pair of slippers she had taken to leaving here. She made her way downstairs and gently opened the door to the study. She thought it was empty for a moment before noticing Charles. He was laying on the leather couch at the far end of the room. His eyes were closed, but he held his cell phone in one hand. An empty scotch glass and the manuscript lay on the floor by his head. Liza creeped over, perching on the edge of the sofa by his head and running a hand gently through his hair. He opened his eyes, smiling weakly.

"Hey. You never came up to bed." She shifted further onto the sofa, lifting his head up to rest it on her lap.

"Sorry. I was just thinking."

"I can't even imagine. Did you talk to Bob?" He nodded. "He's going to come in tomorrow afternoon. Or this afternoon, I guess. I didn't realize it was so late. I want us all to sit down and decide on how to handle this. Bob, Diana, Kelsey, you. I'm so very sorry you got pulled into this, Liza."

"Hey, don't apologize. You didn't write this thing. She did. Charles, come to bed. You need some rest. It's going to a long week." He nodded, sitting up. Liza stood and took his hand, guiding him back up the stairs. It was her turn to be his pillar of strength now.

"So, by now, you all know why you've been called in here today." Charles sat at the head of the conference room table the following afternoon. Diana sat off to one side, Liza and Kelsey across from her. "My attorney will be joining us soon, but I wanted to talk to the three of you first." They nodded.

"I take it by now that you two," he gestured to Diana and Kelsey, "have read the chapters that Liza emailed to you this morning. I honestly have no idea how to handle this."

Diana leaned forward. "Well, the way I see it, if someone else publishes it, then you are cannon fodder for the New York media. But if you publish it, you seem like the bigger person. And you get to control the narrative."

Charles leaned back, clicking his pen nervously. "Publish it. And have my private life spilled out for everyone to see? To talk about? I don't know. I was leaning towards having our lawyers shut her down, serve her with a cease and desist letter."

It was Liza's turn to speak now. "Charles, I really don't think that's the way to go. I think you need to talk to her. You haven't spoken in almost two years. Look, the reason Pauline came to Pitch Fest and gave me the book was because she wanted to get your attention." No one said anything for a moment, and the door to the room opened and Bob stuck his head in. "Is now a good time, Charles?" He nodded, and Bob came in. He squeezed Liza's shoulder as he walked by and sat down opposite Charles.

"So," Charles started, "The general consensus is that we should publish it rather than shut it down. But Liza thinks that I should talk to Pauline before we do anything else. She's supposed to come in on Thursday morning, right?" Liza nodded.

"Well, as your friend and your attorney, I think talking to her is a smart idea. She's clearly trying to get your attention. If you decide to publish it, you at least have a semblance of control over the content, the marketing. But if you want me to shut it down, I'm more than happy to do so." Charles nodded and stood.

"Before you all leave, there's a few other things we need to talk about while Bob is still here. Everyone in this room is fully aware of the other situations we are dealing with. Everyone here knows that Liza is not 26, and that she and I are pursuing a relationship. Liza and I have talked about this at length, and so have Bob and I. So, here's what I'm thinking. I think it may be time for Liza to take a step back from Millennial. Wait, Kelsey, let me finish." He raised a hand to silence her. "It will take some of the spotlight off of her. She can still be involved, but if everyone here is in support, I would like to add the title of Junior Editor for Empirical to her resume."

Liza leaned forward, stunned. "Charles, you don't have to do that."

"Liza, you are one of the hardest workers here. It's a reasonable promotion, not a favor. You will still be involved in Millennial projects, but you'll have a bit more freedom to pursue other books. You won't have to continue to lie about your age. And from an HR standpoint," he added, glancing at Bob, "It's much more acceptable for me to be dating an editor rather than an assistant." He smiled, satisfied with his proposition.

"And, what about me?" Diana demanded, "Will I be losing an assistant?"

They all smiled. "Not at the moment. Liza will continue to work with you until we can find a suitable replacement for her. Which will most likely take years." Everyone laughed as Diana pursed her lips.

"What about Millennial, Charles? I can't run an entire imprint on my own." Kelsey leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table. "I need help. I need Liza." Liza reached over and clasped Kelsey's hand. "You know that's not true. You're a total boss, Kelsey."

"In that regard, Zane will be taking over part of Liza's responsibilities. I've already spoken with him about this earlier this morning. I need the two of you on the same side, rather than bickering like children and fighting over authors. We'll see how it goes," he added, placatingly, "And revisit this in a few months if changes need to be made. Class dismissed." Liza, Diana and Kelsey filed out of the room, but Charles gestured for Bob to stay behind.

"I need to talk to you about Pauline." He stood, leaning against a chair, his hands clenched on the back. "I don't know what to tell her about Liza."

"What do you want, Charles? I'm asking as your friend. Because you're not going to be able to move forward until you can answer that question."

"I want to be with Liza. I love her. I'm in love with her."

"So, you ask Pauline for a divorce."

"But then she'll take her book elsewhere, and who know what some other company will do with it. It's a good book. It will be a hit. But it needs to stay here."

"Then you wait to ask for the divorce until after the book is published."

"So I string her along? Let her think that there's a chance for us? And what about Liza? Pauline is going to want her to be the editor. That's why she brought it to her. If Pauline knows about us, she'll take the book somewhere else. I know her."

"She could also use your relationship with Liza as a bargaining chip in the divorce. Try to get more money, custody of the girls.", Bob argued.

"No! Absolutely not." Charles paced the length of the conference room. He could feel his temper rising and struggled to keep his anger in check. He could not, would not, lose the girls.

"I agree, Charles. She abandoned them, abandoned you, and you've single handedly taken care of them for the past two years. But I'm just trying to prepare you for what's coming. Which is why you're not going to like what I have to say next."

"What?"

"I think the best way to deal with this is to continue to keep your relationship with Liza on the down low. Be discreet. Or press pause. Wait until the book is published, then deal with the divorce. When that happens, then you go public with the relationship."

"That could be weeks. Months. I can't ask Liza to do that. I don't want that. We finally just got to a point where we didn't have to hide anything anymore."

Bob shrugged helplessly as he got up. He stopped by Charles and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not what you want to hear. But I think it's your only option. If Liza loves you as much as I think she does, she'll agree with me. Talk to her. And talk to Pauline."

Charles blew out a slow, heavy breath as he stood alone in the conference room. His head was swimming with so many thoughts that he could barely think straight. All he wanted in that moment was to be alone with Liza. Even just her presence in a room brought him a sense of calm. She was right, it was going to be a long week.

"I think he's right." Liza sat cross legged on her bed later that night as Charles leaned against the dresser opposite her. He had just relayed his conversation with Bob to her and was nervous to see what her reaction was.

"I don't like it, Liza. I feel like the universe is just conspiring against us being together."

"Not the universe. Just your soon to be ex-wife. Listen," she said, kneeling on the bed and reaching out to take his hands., "we just need to think long-term. This is just one hurdle. We get past this, and we're good. Obstacles are put in the way to see if what you want is really worth fighting for. And I think what we have is, don't you?" She looked searchingly into his eyes. He could see the pain in her eyes, but he could also see the determination.

"More than anything. I won't ever abandon you Liza, and you can damn well know that I'm going to fight for this. For us." A single tear slid down her face, and it broke his heart. He reached up to wipe it away with his thumb, then leaned down to kiss her cheek gently.

"When are you meeting her?" Liza asked, quietly.

"Tomorrow night. I need to say some things to her before I have to sit in a meeting with her and everyone else."

"I get that. I'll meet you afterwards?"

Charles nodded. "I'd like that. But I'm sick of talking, right now." Liza nodded, reaching up and snaking her arms around his neck. "Then get down here." They fall back onto the bed, laughing as Charles grunts and mutters, "I really need to get you a new mattress."

Wednesday night

"Hello Charles."

Charles turns from his seat at the bar at the Roosevelt Hotel where he was waiting for Pauline. He blinked a few times, still finding it hard to believe that she was actually there. Part of him thought, hoped actually, that she would just disappear again, but alas, there she stood. She looked the same as the last time he had seen her. Her hair was a little longer, and she was tanner, but everything else was the same.

"Pauline. Hello." She slid onto the stool next to him. "Listen, we don't have to do small talk, Charles. I'm sorry. I'm not the same woman that walked out on you. Can we just start there?"

"We've got to start somewhere, I suppose."

"Yes, we do. How are the girls? Can I see them?" Charles rolled his eyes. She couldn't even be bothered to apologize.

"They're at a summer camp. A horse camp. They won't be back until the weekend after next. We can talk about you seeing them then, if you're still around."

"I deserved that. But I'm not going to sit here and listen to you berate me. I'm back, for good."

"Mmhmm," Charles muttered, taking a sip of his drink. "Can I get you a drink? We've got a lot to talk about." She nodded, and slipped off her jacket, settling in for a conversation two years in the making.

Liza shivered on the steps to the brownstone and checked the time on her cell phone for what felt like the millionth time. 11:06 P.M. She had showed up over an hour ago, expecting Charles to be home from his meeting with Pauline and in need of some comfort. She was tempted to text him, but something in her was hesitant. She was about ready to call for a car when a black SUV pulled up and Charles climbed out. He looked exhausted and upset.

"Liza! Shit, I'm sorry. I forgot you were going to be here." He fumbled to pull his keys out of his pocket as he stopped on the step below her.

"It's late."

"I know, there was just, there was a lot to talk about. Listen, can we talk about in in the morning? I'm exhausted. You can take the car." He gestured towards the idling SUV.

"Oh, uh, okay. I'll see you in the morning, then." Liza scurried down the steps as he unlocked the door, blinking the tears back as she climbed into the SUV. She watched as he climbed the steps and unlocked the door, not bothering to turn around and wave goodnight, and as the car pulled back out into the dark night, the tears took over.

"So, what happened last night? I'm dying to know." Kelsey slid onto the edge of Liza's desk, startling her. She had been staring at the same email from Diana for 10 minutes, not registering a single word.

"Oh, I, uh, I don't know. He got home really late. He didn't say much. He was exhausted."

"From what?"

"Talking."

"Are you sure they were just talking?" Kelsey joked, immediately regretting it as Liza looked up and Kelsey saw her friend's tired, red, eyes. _Damn it, Charles,_ she thought, _don't you break this girl's heart._

"Liza, can I speak to you for a moment?" Neither of them had heard Charles come up behind them. Liza nodded and followed him back to his office. He closed the door behind her. The blinds in the window were drawn too. Liza turned to face him and he was suddenly inches from her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you last night. I feel terrible."

"Don't. I can't even image what you're going through."

"I didn't treat you right. I'm sorry. When things get very emotional, I have a tendency to shut down."

"I know."

"I imagine you do. It's one of the main themes in her book."

"No, I know you, Charles." He smiled and kissed her lightly. The door opened and Kelsey popped her head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but she's here."

"We'll be there in a second." Liza hurried back to her desk to gather a few things as Kelsey and Charles settled into the conference room. She saw Pauline through the window, sitting in the chair Liza usually occupied, and she felt a flair of annoyance.

"You ready for this, Liza?" Diana came of her office, pausing to wait for Liza. She nodded. They walked to the conference room together, and Liza felt Diana put a hand on her back, very gently, almost as if to comfort her, and she almost teared up all over again.

She settled into the chair on the other side of Charles, directly across from Pauline. She plastered on the most genuine smile she could muster.

"It's good to see you again, Pauline. Or should I call you Paula?" She cocked her head slightly. Next to Pauline, Kelsey coughed, trying to cover up her laugh. She saw some red on Pauline's cheeks and she smiled, satisfied.

"I'm sorry about the duplicity, Liza. Under the circumstances, I did what I thought I needed to do."

"Why don't we get started?" Charles suggested, shooting Liza a furtive smirk. He liked her a little sassy.

They settled in to discuss the details. With the book already written, it would be a quick rollout. They all agreed that Liza would be the primary editor but that it would be a Millennial book. Charles had explained all of this to Pauline last night – how Liza was stepping back but still involved with Millennial. Liza would guide her through the minimal rewrites, all while quietly protecting how Charles was portrayed throughout the novel. It would be a rush job, but easily doable. Diana dove into the marketing details, outlining the plans already in the works for a July release. The goal was for the book to be the sleeper hit of the summer that no one saw coming. Once the first chapter was perfected, Kelsey would leak it to her contacts at EW and GMA, and let the book speak for itself.

Two hours later the meeting broke up, leaving Pauline and Liza to sit down and dig into the editing process. Charles mouthed a parting "Good Luck" to Liza as he exited the room. The two of them began going through the first few chapters, page by page, and for awhile Liza forgot who she was sitting with. It really was a fantastic novel, and it would resonate with women everywhere.

They called it quits midafternoon. Liza didn't think she could sit with Pauline any longer after going through Page 58. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to keep a neutral, professional face. All she could think about was the times that Charles had given her her own personal taste of that page. She knew her face had turned at least slightly pink, because Pauline had laughed and apologized for Liza having to read the "smutty details" of her boss's sex life. Oh, if only she knew, Liza thought wryly. It had also led to an uncomfortable conversation.

"Listen, Liza, I know this is probably an inappropriate question to ask, but do you know if Charles is seeing anyone?"

"Uhh, I'm, I'm not sure. Why?"

"Why not? I need to know what I'm up against."

"You want to get back together?" Liza's stomach dropped and she could feel her blood run cold.

"Yes, of course I do. I'm crazy about him. I just need to know if there is someone else." She dropped her voice. "To be honest, I went to the house to see if the girls were home on Tuesday, and he wasn't home. No one was. It was late."

The blood was pumping so loudly through Liza that she could barely think. She knew very well where Charles had been Tuesday night. In bed with her. "That could mean anything Pauline. He could have been here. And listen, am I here to talk about boys with you or am I hear to edit your book?"

"I'm sorry. Of course, let's get back to it."

When Pauline finally left, Liza felt a wave of relief wash over her. This was going to be the longest month of her life.


	19. Late Night

Friday Night

Liza sat at her desk, squinting at the words on the screen in front of her. It was 7:30 on a Friday night, and work was the last place she wanted to be. She had been ready to head home an hour and a half ago after spending the entire day with Pauline, finetuning several more chapters, when she had received a text from Maggie letting her know that Josh and Lauren were at the loft. They had apparently invited themselves over for a "wine and weed" night. She loved Lauren and Josh, but the last thing she wanted to deal with this week was their overwhelming personalities tonight.

What she wanted, more than anything, was some time with Charles. She glanced back at his office, but it was dark. She had been meeting with Pauline at her hotel today, and by the time she got back into the office, he was already gone. She didn't know if he was avoiding her or just avoiding having to deal with Pauline, but her stomach was in knots. Pauline had spent the afternoon pestering Liza with roundabout questions about Charles and if he was seeing anyone. Liza had never considered herself a jealous person, but her fuse when it came to Pauline was short. She wanted to get this book done, get it published and get Pauline out of their lives.

She leaned her elbows onto her desk, resting her head in her hands. She hated feeling like this. It wasn't fair. She and Charles had just settled into this relationship and now the rug was being pulled out from underneath them. _Maybe it's karma_, she thought, _for lying to the people I love_. She loved Charles, and he loved her, but what if he decided to reconcile with Pauline? It was clearly what she wanted. Her novel was basically "Eat, Pray, Win my Husband Back." Charles had young daughters who needed a mother in their lives. What if he decided to try and give them the big, happy, united family that they deserved? Liza put herself in his shoes – if she had found out about David's indiscretions when Caitlin was still a young girl, she wasn't entirely sure that she would have walked away. Her instinct would have been to try and make it work. She couldn't, she wouldn't, be the person who stood in the way of a family getting back together. Even if it broke her heart.

She tried to refocus on the page in front of her, but her thoughts got the better of her. She saved her work on the chapter she was editing and emailed it to Kelsey for review. She stared at the blank desktop for a few minutes, lost in her thoughts. She didn't hear the elevator ding or see who stepped off.

Charles didn't expect anyone to still be at the office, especially on a Friday night. He had just finished a dinner with an author who was an old friend of his father's. It had been hard to focus on the old man's words. He hadn't seen or spoken to Liza all day, and she kept creeping into all his thoughts. He knew that the situation had to be overwhelming for her, and he felt a massive sense of guilt. To have all of this thrown at her in the span of a week. It would make anyone anxious. _And knowing Liza_, he thought, _she's overthinking everything, and trying to make sure everyone else is okay before taking care of herself_. He wanted to take care of her. To take her in his arms and smooth her hair and kiss her and tell her everything would be okay. But now he wasn't even supposed to do that.

He didn't want to go home to an empty house, so when he finished his dinner, he decided to head back to the office. There was always work to do, and maybe, he thought, reviewing financial reports and contracts might get Liza out of his head. As he stepped off of the elevator, a light in the bullpen caught his eye. There she was. He paused, watching her for a moment. She sat at her desk; her hair pulled up into a ponytail. He recognized the dress she was wearing as the one she had been wearing that fateful night in the Hamptons. He felt another wave of guilt wash over him as he registered her posture. Her shoulders were hunched, and he could see her head resting in her hands, out of sight. Charles hated seeing her like this.

"Liza?" He called gently, striding over to her. She jumped, startled. He studied her for a moment. Beautiful, as always, but tired. He could see the exhaustion, the worry, the faintly red eyes. Part of him hated himself, resented Pauline, for putting her into this situation.

"Hey," she said, smiling weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing. I had dinner with a friend of my Dad's and thought I would get some more work done. Why aren't you at home?"

"Maggie has Josh and Lauren over right now. I didn't really want to go home to that."

"I'm sorry, Liza. For all of this." She nodded, picking up her bag and cell phone.

"It's okay, Charles. I'm the one that got us into this whole mess anyways. I'll leave you to your work. Let's talk this weekend, if that's okay?" She didn't wait for an answer, just walked to the elevator doors and pressed the down button. Charles caught up to her, reaching out to grab her arm and pull her around to face him.

"Don't shut me out, Liza. Please." He pleaded, searching her eyes. "I can't do this without you."

"It's okay. I'm okay." Liza blew out a shaky breath and stepped onto the elevator. Charles stepped on as well, all thoughts of work erased from his mind. He leaned against the wall of the elevator.

"I don't want to go home tonight. Not to that empty house."

Liza turned to glance at him. "I don't want to go home either."

As the elevator doors opened, Charles reached out to grab Liza's hand. "I have an idea. Come with me." And before she could say anything, he guided her out into the night.

Liza leaned against a pillar in the hotel lobby as Charles stood at the reception desk, booking them a room. Given the situation, was this a good idea? _No_, she thought, _but it's what I want to do_. She typed out a text to Maggie. _Not coming home tonight. See you tomorrow morning. Xx_

_Don't do anything I wouldn't do _

She slipped her phone back into her bag as Charles strode over, a black hotel key in his hand. He held out his hand and she took it, letting him guide her to the elevator doors. They climbed in with several other people and Charles reached over and pressed the button for the top floor. He pulled her towards the back of the elevator and pulled her to him so that her back was pressed flush against his chest. He let one hand rest on her waist and the other toyed with the hem of her dress, dancing light lines across her thigh. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, and she pressed her back a little harder against him.

It was a torturous climb to the top floor, but as soon as the doors opened Charles stood up and grabbed her hand again, pulling her down the hallway. He slipped the key into a door at the end of the hall and stepped into the room and let Liza step in after him.

He had booked the most expensive room available. It was a massive bedroom with a luxurious king-sized bed dominating most of the space. But the view was breathtaking. On the far side of the room stood a wall of windows, through which you could see the glittering lights of the city. The lights danced shadows across their faces.

He turned as Liza dropped her purse on the floor and took a step back, reaching back to close and lock the door behind her. She stood, leaning against the door.

"Liza," He said quietly, huskily, taking a step closer to her. She smiled seductively at him as she shut the door. She could feel her blood pumping through her as he said her name and stepped closer to her, invading her personal space.

"Charles." She whispered. She could see his eyes darken with desire and knew that her eyes were reflecting the same back to him. Her eyes flicked down to his slightly parted lips and she licked hers, instinctively. She started to say something but within seconds his lips were on hers, crushing her against the wall. Her hands reached up to grasp his shoulders, but he took her hands in his, sliding them up over her head, their fingers intertwined. He ground his body against hers, pressing all his weight onto her. She moaned, loudly, and pulled slightly away, just far enough that he could see her face.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked, his voice deep and husky. She shook her head and bit her lip. "Don't stop. Never stop," she whispered, and he crushed his lips against hers again. His tongue flicked over her lips, and she opened her mouth, inviting him in. He nipped at her bottom lip and let go of her hands so that he could trail his over her body.

"I've wanted to take this dress off of you since that night in the Hamptons." He pulled her a little further into the room, the pair of them kicking off their shoes. He spun her around and slowly unzipped the dress, leaning down to trail kisses down her spin that sent shivers running through her body. He stood and pushed the dress off of her shoulders, raking his eyes over her body as he slipped his jacket off. Liza grabbed his tie with one hand and pulled him back to her. Their lips met again as she loosened his tie and he reached back to undo her bra, both articles of clothing quickly discarded onto the floor.

Charles grabbed her hips and pulled her tight against him so that she would feel how ready for her he was. She bucked her hips back against him and he let out a low, guttural growl that lit a fire in her veins. She undid his belt buckle and zipper, her fingers pushing both articles of clothing down over his hips as he unbuttoned his shirt. They stood together in front of the window for a moment, embracing passionately. Charles reached over to push back the plush comforter and sheets before pulling Liza back to him and onto the bed.

They were a tangle of limbs and it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Liza writhed and moaned with pleasure underneath Charles, her nails scraping across his bare back and her legs intertwined with his. Charles let out another low, guttural growl as he felt Liza arch her hips up against him and it was only moments before their bodies were joined together. He rocked into her, slowly at first, his mouth covering hers as he began to move faster, but slowing down as he felt her tighten around him. They continued like this until he could feel them both reaching their limits, and together they pushed each other over the edge.

Charles and Liza lay there for a moment, bodies intertwined, satiated. It was as if they both had just poured all of their emotions, all of the words they both wanted to say but couldn't into that moment. Liza couldn't explain the comfort she felt in that moment, with Charles' body pressed against her, covering her, protecting her. But that feeling was something she never wanted to let go of. Ever.


	20. Parties and Propriety

Liza slipped into the apartment, trying to close the door quietly and not wake Maggie. She had risen from the hotel room bed early. Actually, she wasn't sure she had ever fallen asleep. She and Charles had been awake late into the night and when he had finally fallen asleep Liza had lain in his arms, her head nestled into the crook of his shoulder, listening to his steady heartbeat. As the sun had come up, she had quietly extricated herself from his arms and slipped out of the hotel room before he woke up.

"Look who's doing the walk of shame! Looks like you had a late night." Liza jumped as she heard Maggie's voice. Slipping off her shoes, she walked into the kitchen, where Maggie stood in her bathrobe pouring a cup of coffee. Liza sat down at the island, crossing her arms on the countertop and resting her head on her hands.

"You have no idea, Maggie." She sighed, quickly filling her in on what had transpired the night before and watched as Maggie quietly sipped her coffee. "I shouldn't have done it Maggie. I'm trying to keep my distance from him. It's the only way I can get through this without losing my mind. I need to put some space between us."

"Why? Everyone in this situation is an adult. Why can't Charles just tell his wife that the two of you are dating and ask her for a divorce? She has to know it's coming."

"It'll just complicate things. I'm her editor. And his attorney says that if he asks for a divorce now, we'll lose the book."

"Who gives a rat's ass about her stupid book?"

"I do, Maggie. It's a fantastic novel, and it's my first as an editor. Plus, if Pauline finds out about us, she could try to use it against Charles and try to get custody of the girls. I can't let him risk his kids to be with me."

Maggie nodded. "I mean, I get that. But it's really shitty that you have to go through this. I don't like seeing you like this, Liza." She reached across the island and covered Liza's hand with her own. "You deserve better than this. So, what are you going to do?" Liza lifted her head and rested her chin on her forearm.

"I think I need to call things off until the dust settles. Get the book published and send Pauline on her book tour and then see where things stand. Charles needs to figure out what he wants. And, god, I hope it's me, but I'm not going to stand in the way of a family being together. I don't regret what happened last night, but it feels wrong. I woke up this morning and felt guilty. Like I'm the other woman." She reached up and wiped away a tear. "I really love him, Maggie."

"I know you do, sweetie." A folded sheet of paper caught Liza's eye, sticking out from underneath her copy of Anna Karenina that was sitting on the counter. "What's that?" She jerked her head towards the paper.

"Oh, I'm not sure. Josh left that for you last night." Liza reached over and opened it. She recognized Josh's slanted handwriting. On the sheet were two words. Thank You. Underneath them he had drawn an intricate four-leaf clover. She handed the sheet to Maggie and sighed. "Apparently I'm now in the business of making everyone else around me happy while I'm miserable and alone. I hate this." Maggie came around the edge of the counter and wrapped her arm around Liza, rubbing her shoulder.

"Everything is going to be okay. And if you need to take the edge off, I still have a joint leftover from last night, if you can believe it. It's all yours." Liza laughed halfheartedly and leaned her head against Maggie.

"You're the best."

"I know."

There was a knock at the door and a moment later it opened, Josh sticking his head in. He saw Maggie first.

"Hey, sorry it's so early, but I think I left my cell here last night. Is everything okay?" His eyes fell on Liza, leaning her head up against Maggie. "Liza, what's wrong?" He strode across the room, leaving the front door open and came around the other side of Liza, reaching a hand out to touch her on the shoulder.

Liza turned and gave Josh a weak smile. He could tell that she had been crying. Her eyes were red, her face pale and tired looking. His blood boiled as he guessed at what the source of her pain was. Or who. "What did he do?" he asked gently, trying to keep his voice steady.

Liza shook her head. "He didn't do anything wrong. It's just complicated. His wife came back."

"Don't tell me that he dumped you and went back to her. I'll kill him."

"Josh, no, calm down, it's not like that. She wrote a book about her life, and we're publishing it. I'm editing it. It's just a messy situation and it's wearing on me. That's all." The last thing she needed was Josh getting all "knight in shining armor" on her. He wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her back, as Maggie poured him a cup of coffee. He laughed a little.

"Who would have thought 3 months ago that this is where we'd be? Me listening to your boy problems and dating a girl you set me up with. This is crazy, right?"

Charles climbed the steps up to Liza's apartment, taking them two at a time. He had woken up to the sound of the hotel room door closing and the bed cold and empty next to him. By the time he had thrown on his pants and run into the hallway, she was gone. He had headed straight to her apartment, needing to talk to her, to clear the air. He knew she was confused about what was going on. Hell, so was he.

The door to the apartment was slightly ajar, and he pushed it open, not bothering to knock. He stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene in front of him. Liza sat at the kitchen counter; Josh next to her. Her head was on his shoulder and Josh was rubbing Liza's back. Charles felt like someone had clubbed him on the back of the head.

"Uh, hello." Liza and Josh turned their heads, simultaneously and Liza stood, shrugging Josh's hand off of her.

"What are you doing here?"

"You were gone this morning when I woke up. I wanted to talk to you. Alone." He said the last word with a pointed glare at Josh.

"That's my cue." Josh stood, throwing Charles a dirty look. He leaned over and hugged Liza, making sure to speak loud enough so that Charles would hear him. "Call me if you need anything, Liza. You know where to find me." He crossed to the living room where he pulled his cell phone from underneath a throw pillow and walked past Charles, brushing past him, checking him in the shoulder and slamming the door behind him. Maggie disappeared quickly into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"What was that about?"

Liza sighed. She didn't need to deal with jealous men this early in the morning. "It was nothing Charles. He came to pick up his cell phone. He left it here last night. He caught the tail end of my conversation with Maggie. You know, no." She shook her head. "I don't need to defend my actions to you. I was talking to a friend. That's all."

"I'm not accusing you of anything. This is new territory for me, Liza." He sighed, leaning against the counter. "I just don't like feeling like I'm competing against that guy."

"It's not a competition. I chose YOU, Charles. Not him. And I would choose you over and over again." Her voice broke a little. "But this situation that we're in right now, I can't do this anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't do this," she said, tears flooding her eyes and gesturing between them, "Being with you, but not being able to be with you. You have things to figure out, Charles, and I can't be in the middle of it anymore. You need to figure things out with Pauline. I'm not going to judge if you decide to try and make it work."

"That's not going to happen." Charles said, emphatically.

"You don't know that. You have children together. Young children, who need a mother and a father. I'm not going to stand in the way of that. I can't do that, Charles." She wiped a tear from her eyes. "I love you, Charles, and I want to be with you. But I want to be with you on our terms, not someone else's. And I can't do my job properly being in the middle of all this. So, I'm calling time out. We need space away from each other to figure this out. I need space."

"Is that how you really feel? Is that what you really want?" He said the words, but they were shaky coming out of his mouth. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

She took a moment to answer, steeling herself. She lifted her head, looking him in the eyes. "Yes."

He nodded slowly, standing up straight. "Okay then." He strode over to her, leaning down and kissing her softly, grazing her lips. "Goodbye, Liza."

Liza didn't see Charles at work on Monday or Tuesday, and it wasn't until her final editing meeting with Pauline on Wednesday morning that she discovered what was going on. Apparently, Bianca had hurt herself mid-afternoon on Monday at horse camp, so naturally Charles had gone to fetch her. Pauline didn't seem overly concerned about the injury and was so excited to see the girls that evening that the meeting took 3x longer than Liza had anticipated. When Pauline excused herself to use the ladies' room, Liza couldn't help but pull out her phone and text Charles.

_Just heard about Bianca. Everything okay? _The three dots appeared, and then a quick response.

_Yeah. Broken wrist. Fell out of a tree. Just got home._ The dots appeared again, then another quick response.

_Thanks for checking in._

She slipped the phone back into her purse as Pauline came back, steeling herself for another hour of Pauline.

"Who are you texting, Daddy?" Bianca quipped from her perch on the couch. He had grabbed everything from her bedroom and playroom that she might want – coloring books, movies, a few small books that she had been working her way through; and had propped up her broken wrist, now wrapped in a bubblegum pink cast, on a pile of pillows. Nicole sat in a nearby chair, her nose in a book.

"Liza wanted to know how you were feeling." Bianca perked up at the sound of Liza's name.

"Can she come visit me, Daddy? I want Liza to sign my cast." She smiled. "And maybe she can bring me some of her chocolate chip cookies. They're the best."

"I'll ask her and see." Part of him was glad that Bianca had asked. Charles was trying, desperately, to honor Liza's wishes and keep his distance, but it was proving incredibly difficult. He found himself on multiple occasions picking up his phone to call her. At least the cell reception at the horse camp in Westchester was practically nonexistent, or he knew he would have called her.

He had told the girls that their mother was back, and that she would be coming to see them on Wednesday night. They were both excited, but hadn't said much else about it.

"Ask her now, Daddy! Maybe she can come over tonight." Knowing he shouldn't, he typed out the text anyways.

_Bianca has requested a visit from you, if you're up to it. Preferably this evening. She's quite insistent._

A moment later, his phone vibrated. _I'll be there. With cookies. _

A few hours later, Liza stood on the stoop to the brownstone, a Tupperware container of still warm chocolate chip cookies and a care package filled with snacks, movies and games in the other. _Maybe I overdid it_, she thought, looking down at the overfilled bag as she rang the doorbell. She had remembered when Caitlin broke her leg when she was 10, and how she had gotten bored so quickly being stuck in the house.

She had also had the foresight to make plans with Kelsey and Lauren tonight, so she would have an excuse to leave. She knew herself, and despite what was going on between her and Charles, she knew that Bianca and Nicole would do their best to persuade her to stay. So, she had made plans to meet the girls and had changed into a floral sundress and white sandals.

The door to the house swung open, and Liza was thrown off by Pauline standing in the doorway. She tilted her head and look questioningly at Liza. "Liza, hi! What are you doing here?" Ever the polite hostess, Pauline stepped aside and gestured for Liza to come in. This feels wrong, Liza thought, and fought the instinct to drop everything and run back out the door.

"I, uh, brought some things for Bianca. Charles said she was up for visitors, if that's okay."

"Oh, of course. I mean, I guess I'm visiting them too." She lowered her voice. "I feel like a guest in my own home. So, you know the girls?"

"She's our favorite babysitter." Nicole wandered in, coming in to give Liza a bear hug.

"You babysit them?" Liza nodded, swallowing hard.

"Sometimes. If Charles is out of town or has to go to an event." She wrapped her arm around Nicole, squeezing her shoulder.

"Liza's our favorite babysitter. She plays Polly pockets with us and builds forts and makes zombie movies and takes us to the park. She taught us how to fly kites and she makes the bestest chocolate chip cookies."

"I thought my cookies were your favorite?" Pauline leaned down and looked at Nicole.

"Liza's cookies are yummier. She has a secret recipe." Nicole deadpanned, and then grabbed Liza's hand. "I'll take you to see Bianca. She's watching Frozen with Daddy." And without another glance at her mother, she pulled Liza down the hall.

Pauline wandered into the living room a few minutes later, after composing herself. It was only natural that the girls liked Liza. She was fun and pretty and apparently great with kids. A small part of her insecure mind flitted to the thought that maybe it wasn't just her girls who liked Liza, but she brushed the thought away. Charles was not the type of man to sleep with an employee. She leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene in front of her. Bianca had pulled Liza down to the couch, and Nicole had curled up on the other side of her. Each girl had a chocolate chip cookie in their hand and were looking at the bag of goodies that she had brought while Liza signed her name on Bianca's cast. Bubbles and board games and books. Charles sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, watching the scene. His eyes flicked up to Pauline for a moment, and he smiled politely at her_. If a stranger walked into the room at that moment_, Pauline thought, _I'd look like the outsider, the one that doesn't belong here anymore. _

A few minutes later the girls were engrossed in their new loot, and Liza stood.

"I really should get going." She said, to no one in particular. She leaned down to give the girls hugs and kisses.

"Hot date?" Pauline asked.

"Oh, no. Just meeting Kelsey for a drink. My friend Josh's band is playing." Pauline thought she saw Charles stiffen as Liza said this but didn't think much of it.

"Sounds like fun. Listen, I wanted to ask you if you had plans tomorrow evening. My friend Louise is throwing a party, sort of a welcome home party, and I'd love it if you'd come. It'll be fun."

"Oh, uh," Liza glanced at Charles. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Great! I'll text you the address?"

"Sounds good." Liza shrugged on her coat and Charles stood.

"Here, I'll walk you out." Liza turned and smiled tightly at him. "No need. I know where the door is. I'll see you at the office tomorrow, Charles."

"I can't believe you're actually going to a party with the wicked wife!" Maggie stood in the door to Liza's bedroom, watching her get ready.

"Oh, stop it, Maggie. What was I supposed to say? I think she's suspicious of me and Charles, anyways. She looked pissed last night when I came over to visit the girls. Like I was invading her territory. I can't give her any ammunition that would help her if they split up, officially."

"You say no, Liza. Honestly, I think you're just trying to punish yourself."

Liza through her an overexaggerated eye roll as she slipped on her heels. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I think you feel guilty. About lying to people. Even though everyone knows now, and has forgiven you, I think you feel like you don't deserve to be happy, so you're putting yourself into situations where there's a pretty good chance you're going to be the one who gets hurt."

"That's not true." But even as Liza said it, she knew that Maggie was right. It was like her first instinct was always self-sabotage. "I've got to go. I'm going to be late."

"Liza! Come over here!" Liza caught Pauline's eye a few minutes after wandering into the stuffy Upper East Side party. She hadn't seen anyone she recognized, so she had grabbed a glass of champagne and tried to look like she belonged.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my amazing editor, Liza Miller." Pauline grabbed her hand and pulled her into a throng of women. A heavily botoxed woman who Pauline introduced as Louise, reached out and placed a manicured hand on Pauline's arm.

"Anyways, I think what you're doing is really brave, Pauline. I hope you and Charles work it out." The group of women scurried away as they recognized some other New York socialite. Pauline threw her head back and laughed, linking her arm with Liza's.

"God, you know, I used to live for the approval of these women, and now, nothing. I don't care anymore. It's such a good feeling."

"I bet it is. I'm happy for you Pauline."

"Oh, that's not even the half of it. This book is changing everything for me, Liza. Charles even invited me to stay at the townhouse. I know it's mostly so that he doesn't have to hire someone to look after the girls, but it's a step in the right direction, even if it's the guestroom, right?! Listen, I have to make the rounds, but don't go, okay?"

Liza stood there for a moment, swaying on the spot. He had asked her to move back in? _It's over_, she thought, _he's going to get back together with her, and we'll be done_.

"Liza! Hi sweetheart!" A light hand touches Liza on the shoulder and she jumps, turning to see Julia smiling serenely back at her. "Are you alright?" Liza nods, but Julia gives her a once over and pulls her over to a quiet corner.

"How are things with you and Charles?" Liza doesn't answer immediately, tilting her head up to the ceiling and sighing.

"I don't know, Julia. Messy. Confusing."

"I can't imagine what you are going through. Bob has told me a bit about what is going on. And I'm so sorry that you've been put into this terrible situation. I think you and Charles are wonderful together. I've known him for years, Liza, and he has never been happier than when he's with you. Pauline was my friend for a long time, but he never looked at her the way he looks at you."

"He asked her to move back into the house, Julia." She nodded.

"I know. But from what he told Bob, it's temporary. Just until Bianca gets better."

"I wish I could believe that were true."

"What's meant to be will always find a way, Liza. What you and Charles have is true love. The two of you were fated to be together. Do you know that Bob and I were planning on setting the two of you up on a date? We both thought you were perfect for each other before we even saw you together."

Liza leaned in and hugged her, blinking away a tear. "Thank you, Julia." As she pulled back from the hug, she saw Charles out of the corner of her eye. He was wearing a dark blue suit, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top. He stepped around a corner and out onto the balcony, out of view of the partygoers. Liza excused herself from Julia and made her way to the door she saw Charles slip through.

He was leaning against the rail at the end of the balcony, a cigarette in his mouth. He had confided to her that he was a stress smoker, but she had never seen him with one. He took a drag and held the cigarette in his hand, resting it on the balcony. Liza walked up to him, quietly, and took the cigarette out of his hand, putting it out on the concrete.

"Smoking is bad for you." He started at the sound of her voice, breathing in sharply. He had come outside to clear his head, but now Liza was all he could see and smell and feel.

"Yeah, well…." He couldn't think of anything to say, and his voice trailed off as he tore his gaze away from her and looked out into the night. "I can't get you out of my head, Liza." He said quietly, looking down to the street below. "I don't know how long I can do this. Pretend to be okay with her being here. Pretend to be okay with not being with you. I'm not very good at pretending, Liza."

"You asked her to move back in." It wasn't a question; Liza already knew it was true.

"She tells you way too much, and that's not exactly accurate. She was talking about looking for a place to live and I offered to let her stay in the guest room for a week so that she can help out with Bianca. That's it, Liza."

"I love you, Charles. And I love your girls. And I am not going to be the one standing in the way of this family getting back together."

"That's not what is happening, Liza."

"Well, maybe you need to tell her that." Liza raised her voice a little bit, her frustration bubbling over. "Because I have spent the last two weeks listening to her talk about how much she loves you and wants to be a family again." Her voice cracked, but she continued. "She thinks you are getting back together, and the fact that you haven't had this conversation with her yet makes me think you're not certain about what you want to do."

"Liza, I think we're making a mistake, handling this the way we have."

"Maybe we have, Charles, but it's too late now to change things."

He turned, grasping her upper arms and sliding his hands up to her neck. "I don't want to throw away what we have, what we could be, for this." He gestured towards the party inside. He pulled her to him, into a desperate, frantic kiss. "I can't stay away from you," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

"Then you have a decision to make." Liza pulled back and turned away, walking back into the crowded room.

She grabbed a glass of champagne and stepped into a small reading room off of the main living space, trying to compose herself.

"Well, well, if it isn't the enigmatic Liza Miller. How ya doing?" Liza turned at the sound of Jay's voice. He grinned at her, his smile faltering when he saw her face.

"You okay?"

"No, but I really wish people would stop asking me that."

"My apologies." He raised his hands up in an apologetic manner.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. Just having a bad couple weeks."

"So I've heard. Bob." He added, in response to her questioning look. "He likes to gossip more than a high school girl at a sleepover." He smiled as Liza giggled. "Listen, I'm not going to pretend to know what is going on in your life. But from what I've heard, you're in a pretty shitty situation. If you ever want to talk, I'm here. And I have the added benefit of knowing your boyfriend for 20 years. I'm a decent sounding board, Liza. And I like you."

Liza appreciated his bluntness. He was a nice guy, and in a different lifetime, the kind of guy she would be attracted to. "Can I take you up on that?"

Jay raised his eyebrows. "Now?"

"Yeah. I can't be here anymore. All these people. Pauline. Charles. I just need to get out of here."

Jay shrugged and nodded. "Sure. There's a bar around the corner from here with over 50 different kinds of tequila. Let's start there."

Liza laughed and set down her glass of champagne. "Sounds like exactly what I need." She let Jay guide her out of the room, his hand lightly touching the small of her back. She tilted her head down slightly as they left, trying to avoid catching Pauline's eye.

Charles felt helpless as he watched her go. Watched one of his best friends guide her out of the room with his hand on her. He wanted to step in her path and plead for her to stop, to be with him. To kiss her and proclaim his love for her in front of everyone. But he let propriety get the better of him, and he let her go.


	21. Clarity

AN: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing my chapters – it's definitely inspiring me to want to write more. These next few chapters are probably going to come at a slower rate – I had most of the story outlined up to this point and I'm having trouble deciding how I want to write certain situations and more the storyline forward. That being said, I would love any input on what you would like to read about! Situations that you would like to play out or expanded scenes from the show, anything really. I'd love to incorporate some suggestions, and it might help me work through my writer's block.

"Liza!" The harsh bark of Diana's voice pulled Liza out of her reverie. She had been sifting through a pile of email requests from magazines, tv and radio shows for interviews for Pauline, making note of the ones she would pass on to Diana. Actually, for the last 5 minutes her gaze had strayed across the room to where Charles stood in the break area in conversation with Zane. He was wearing a light gray suit with an icy blue tie that drew out the startling blue in his eyes, and Liza couldn't help that her gaze was drawn to him.

"Liza!" Diana screeched again, this time with a tinge of impatience. She scurried into her office, pen and paper in hand.

"What can I do for you, Diana?"

Diana sipped on her coffee and tilted her head appraisingly at Liza. "Call over to Molyvos and make sure that my regular table is available at lunch today. I'm taking you out to lunch. There are a couple things I would like to discuss with you."

"Oh, okay! I'll call right now."

Diana watched as Liza exited and sat back down at her desk. She had been watching her through the glass window for the past 20 minutes. The girl was distracted, that was for sure. Diana couldn't exactly blame her, given the situation that she was in. Editing a tell all novel about her boyfriend's relationship with his wife. Working with that wife on a very close basis. Things had seemed to be going okay, until about a week ago. Liza had shown up to work on Friday morning, looking red eyed and exhausted and Charles had elected to work from home, according to a brief email he had sent Diana early in the morning. Ever since, she had noticed that the two were avoiding each other as much as possible. But they couldn't help themselves, and she had noticed on multiple occasions one or the other gazing at the other while they weren't looking. Whatever was going on, it was clear that they loved each other, very much. Diana was surprised with herself that she hadn't noticed it before.

She had gleaned a little bit of information from Kelsey, who had told her that Liza had told Charles that things between them were on hold until he figured out things with Pauline. And instead of asking Pauline for a divorce, he had invited her to stay in the townhouse for a few weeks, allegedly to help out with the girls. They had had an argument at a party last Thursday and Liza had stormed out, according to Kelsey.

Diana had been trying to figure out a way to approach Liza about the subject all week, but had fallen short. She would be the first to admit to herself that her strong suit was not friendship, and she struggled with what to say, what to ask. But Diana found herself wanting, now that she knew Liza's truths, now that she knew that they were only a few years apart in age, to develop a stronger friendship with Liza. Hopefully this lunch would be the first step in that direction.

"Thank you for this Diana." Liza smiled across the table at Diana as they sat down at the crowded Midtown restaurant. Diana waved a hand, nonchalantly.

"It's nothing. I do want to discuss a few things with you though. And I wanted to do so outside of the office."

"Okay…" Liza said tentatively, not sure if she should be worried.

"I wanted to see how you're dealing with," she paused. "things. I can't imagine that this is an easy situation to navigate."

Liza sipped her water, not immediately saying anything. "I'm trying hard to navigate it properly. Professionally and personally."

"I hear through the grapevine that it's been rocky waters for the two of you lately."

Liza let out a heavy sigh. "It has. I'm trying to do the right thing, Diana. And I think that it means that I need to take myself out of the picture until he can figure out what he wants."

"Has he told you what he wants?"

"He says he wants to be with me, but then he goes and asks her to stay at his house. He's a walking contradiction, Diana."

Diana smirked. "He certainly seems to be. I never would have guessed he would have fallen for you." Diana said this bluntly, and grinned at the look on Liza's face. "But now that I've seen you two together, it's pretty damn obvious that you two are perfect for each other. So….tall."

Liza laughed as their salads were placed in front of them. It was the first time Diana had seen a genuine smile on her all week.

"Listen, Liza. I commend you for how you are dealing with this. You've done a brilliant job with the novel. You should be proud of yourself. I don't think I could have done what you did. Pauline is not the easiest person to like, but you've handled yourself, and her, gracefully."

"Thank you."

"But I need to say something else. I've never seen Charles in such a bad state of mind as I have this week. I don't know what exactly happened between you two, but he has been a bear to deal with this past week. It's worse than when Pauline left him." To this, Liza lifted her head, eyes wide. "He loves you, Liza. I can see that. But he's confused and he's trying to handle this situation. He might not be doing it the best way, but I think he's trying to look out for everyone."

"So am I!" Liza interjected.

"I know, and I think that's why you've both been so ungodly miserable lately. Listen, I was in his office the other day when he saw that picture in the New Yorker of you and that Jay guy from McMillian at the Katie Lee cookoff. I thought he was going to throw his computer through the window."

"It was completely innocent. Jay is a friend."

"Charles seems to think otherwise."

"Well, that's crazy."

"Maybe you need to tell him that. I'm just putting in my two cents, Liza. I know I'm your boss, but I'm also your mentor. And I hope, your friend."

"You are. All of those things, Diana."

"Just talk to him, Liza. Listen, the company picnic is this weekend. Why don't you talk to him then? And Pauline leaves for her book tour soon. Things will calm down, and you can get back to normal."

"Maybe. Thank you for this Diana." She reached out and placed her hand lightly on top of Diana's. "You're a good friend."

A few blocks away, Charles strode into a crowded sports bar, scanning the room for Jay. The room was full of men in suits, as it was a favorite haunt for many midtown businessmen. Not his kind of place, but it was were Jay had suggested they meet.

Charles had been miserable since last Thursday, when he had seen Liza leave that wretched party with Jay. He regretted not running after her with an all-consuming passion. He had left the party shortly after, going home to stew in his study with several glasses of scotch until well after midnight. He had heard Pauline come back in and head upstairs to the guest room. He had woken the next morning, surly and hungover, and had opted to work from home, work mostly consisting of drafting a dozen emails to Liza and deleting them. He was starting to realize that he had done things all wrong. He should never have agreed to publish this book, and he should have made it clear to Pauline that a reconciliation was not on the table. It was becoming clear that she thought it was happening. But he finally admitted to himself, he had let his desire to avoid confrontation get the better of him, and in the process, had hurt the one person he cared most about, with the exception of his children.

His mood continued through the rest of the week and only grew worse the longer he was away from Liza. He had scarcely seen her all week – she had come up with excuses to be unavailable during the morning meetings all week and never seemed to be around when he was there. He had seen her briefly this morning while he had spoken with Zane, her head down and buried in a sheaf of papers. He thought he had seen her glance up at him, but by the time he glanced over again, she was sitting inside Diana's office.

He had called Jay after seeing a picture of him with Liza earlier this week at a publishing event for one of Jay's celebrity chef's new cookbooks. His blood had boiled when he saw her, her head thrown back mid-laugh, Jay's arm around her shoulder. He needed to clear the air with Jay, or he knew he would do something reckless.

He finally located Jay, sitting at a booth in the corner in front of the giant glass window that looked out onto the street.

"Charles. Good to see you." Jay's tone was friendly but cool.

"Jay." Charles matched Jay's tone as a busty waitress came over and handed them menus.

"So, I think I know why you called and asked me to lunch, Charles, and I…"

"What are your intentions with Liza?" Charles cut him off, closing the menu and glaring at his friend.

"My intentions? What is this, 1950? Listen, Charles, Liza is my friend."

"You looked a little too friendly in that picture I saw."

"From the cookoff? Good god, Charles, she is my friend. I like Liza. She's fun and smart and clever. And completely in love with you. If she were any other guy's girl, I might try to make a move. But it's pretty god damn clear that she is crazy about you. Question is, are you?"

"Of course, I am. Jesus Jay, when I saw you leave that party with her, I watched to chase you two down and punch your lights out."

Jay grinned. "Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. I've regretted not chasing her down outside that party for the past week. I'm pretty sure she hates me."

"Far from it. I've seen her a lot this week. She's needed a friend lately, a shoulder to cry on. She's just trying to do the right thing. She thinks you're going to get back together with Pauline."

"Definitely not. I need to ask her for a divorce and tell her to move out of the townhouse."

"That was a fucking idiot move, if you don't me saying." Jay chuckled.

"No kidding. I just have to figure out a good time."

"The sooner the better, I think. She's hurting."

It killed Charles to hear Jay say that. The guilt he felt was overwhelming, and he hated himself a little bit for causing her pain. He hated confrontation and he had always been the kind of person to shy away from hard conversations if he knew it would cause a fight. He had backed himself into a corner trying to keep everyone happy, and now he had hurt his sweet, beautiful Liza.

"I will, Jay. Thanks for meeting me."

"Thanks for not punching my lights out." The two men smiled and dove into their burgers, Charles grateful that he had not lost a friend and that he had gained some clarity in the process.

Friday Morning

Liza took her time getting ready for work on Friday morning. She had been less than enthusiastic all week, opting for jeans and loose t shirts, minimal makeup, and hair in a ponytail. She knew Diana had disapproved, judging by the onceovers she got every time she walked into Diana's office. She had also skipped out on morning meetings, opting to run errands for Diana instead and conveniently avoiding being in close proximity to Charles. But today, she resolved, today would be different. Cool and collected, Liza kept repeating in her head.

"Who you trying to impress with those legs?" Maggie walked into Liza's bedroom, stretching out on the bed with a cup of coffee. Liza envied her slow start to the day. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a rich purple pleated skirt that fell a few inches above her knee, with a light white shirt tucked into it. She picked a pair of nude pumps and slipped them onto her bare feet. She had covered the bags under her eyes with a heavy layer of concealer and had done her best to make her makeup look light and fresh. She had also curled her hair into loose waves, mostly because Charles had said he loved her hair that way.

"Nobody. I just wanted to look nice today."

"Uh-huh." Maggie smirked from her spot on the bed, rolling her eyes. "You're not fooling anyone, Liza."

"Oh, stop it Maggie. Listen, I've gotta go or I'm going to be late for the morning meeting. Kelsey has Josh coming in to talk about doing that tattoo coloring book we talked about a couple months ago."

"That'll be fun. You and the ex and the, well, I don't know what the fuck you and Charles are right now, in a confined space? Good luck with that."

Liza rolled her eyes at Maggie as she slipped on a light jacket and picked up her bag. "It will be fine. I think it'll be fine. Josh and I are good. Besides, he's hot and heavy with Clare right now. It'll be fine."

"Well, if you say it enough, it must be true. Have fun at work, dear!" Maggie laid back on Liza's bed and laughed as she headed out to work. Who knew that the world of publishing could be this interesting?!

"So, unless anyone else has anything else, I think that just about wraps this up." Charles leaned back in his chair, shuffling his papers. He could feel Liza's eyes on him a few chairs down the table, and he kept looking down and flipping through his papers, not sure what would happen if he met her eyes.

"Charles, I don't know if you saw my email yesterday, but we have the author of the adult coloring book coming in, in a few minutes. You remember Josh, right?" Kelsey leaned forward and tilted her head at Charles as some of the other staffers filed out.

"Ah, um, no I didn't see that email." His eyes flicked over to Liza, then back at Kelsey. "Do you need me for that? It's a Millennial title."

"I just thought you'd like to sit in for a few minutes. Diana too." She turned to Liza. "Why don't you go see if Josh is here, Liza?" Kelsey watched as Liza got up and headed out of the room and Charles' eyes followed her. She smirked as she realized that the unhappy couple were wearing matching outfits today. Charles was wearing a tan suit with a white shirt and purple tie, and Liza in a purple skirt and white shirt. Even when they weren't speaking, they were in sync.

When she had told Liza yesterday that Josh would be coming in, Liza had protested. Said it wasn't the time, that she didn't need to deal with anymore drama in her life. Kelsey had overruled her, arguing that it was the perfect time, considering that Marriage Vacation was edited and on the verge of release. Josh's book would be quick to produce and lucrative. And maybe, just maybe, Kelsey had thought, it would force Liza and Charles to be in the same room for more than a minute and make them realize that it was time to work things out.

Liza pushed the glass door to the conference room open, ushering Josh inside and gesturing to the seat she had vacated.

"Josh, this is Diana Trout, our head of marketing, and I don't think you've met Zane yet. He's working with Kelsey at Millennial now." Liza slide into the seat on the other side of Kelsey, who leaned over and whispered to Liza. "He has met him…coming out of my bedroom last week." Liza shook her head and grinned. Josh shook hands with everyone, including Charles, but withdrew his hand quickly and sat down.

"I thought we could go over our preliminary plan with you first Josh and go over some other details." Kelsey started, "And we can take a look at some of the sample work you brought, see if we can decide on a theme." She gestured to the large sketchbook he had set on the table. Liza recognized it as his project book where he stored his final sketches of all of his custom tattoos, along with a picture of the finished project. As Kelsey started going over some of the details, Diana reached over and began to slowly flip over the pages. To her surprise, Charles leaned over and examined some of the drawings with her.

"Oh, this one is beautiful!" Diana interrupted, her fingers touching one of the pages. There were a few photographs of the tattoo from different angles shoved into the page as Liza slowly realized, with horror, that Diana was looking at the drawing of her tattoo. She closed her eyes as she remembered the pictures that Josh had taken that night, her back exposed, laying on her bare stomach.

"Oh, that's," Josh started, but Charles spoke quietly, finishing his sentence. "That's Liza's tattoo." Everyone turned to him, and Diana arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's Liza's. One of my favorites." Josh smiled over at her; his eyes bright.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo." Liza nodded and could feel that her face was flushed.

"I do. On my lower back."

"It represents living in the moment. The concept of time standing still when two people are in love and so connected to each other." Josh looked at Liza as he said this, his eyes not leaving hers. Kelsey coughed, breaking his concentration.

"Stunning." Diana murmured. She had never been a fan of tattoos, but she could listen to this man talk about them all day long. No wonder Liza had been attracted to him.

"Excuse me, but I need to jump on a call. Nice to see you, Josh." Charles said civilly, but Liza detected his tense tone underneath the surface. "I think you're off to a good start, Kelsey." His eyes fell on Liza, and their gaze met for a moment. She gave him a small smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes in the way that it usually did.

Liza excused herself from the meeting about 10 minutes later, claiming the need to use the restroom. So much for cool and collected, she thought, leaning up against the wall. As soon as Charles had turned to look at her before he left, her resolve had dissipated into a pool of vapor. All she could think of was Charles. So she turned, flipped her hair over her shoulder, walked down the hall and knocked twice.

"Come in."

She opened the door gently, tentatively sticking her head in. He was sitting at his desk, his computer closed in front of him.

"Can I…?" She trailed off, gesturing into the office. Charles nodded, standing and straightening his tie. Always the gentleman, she thought. He was the walking definition of chivalry. She couldn't remember him ever not opening a door for her, standing when she walked into a room or giving her his jacket when she was cold. He even walked on the outside of the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry." They both started to talk at once, laughing nervously. Charles stood, slowly moving around to the front of his desk, leaning up against it, his hands braced on either side. He looked down for a moment and then lifted his head slowly to meet her eyes.

"I'm asking Pauline for a divorce. Tonight. I'm done, Liza."

"What? Charles, are you sure?" Liza stepped towards him, and he reached out and caught her hands, pulling her to him. He lifted his hands to either side of her face, his thumbs tracing her jaw. Liza gazed at him, her brown eyes searching his blue ones.

"I'm sure, Liza. I've never been surer of anything in my life. Except for how much I love you." Liza leaned in to kiss him, pressing the length of her body against his. Oh, how she had missed this. She grazed his lips lightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Charles wrapped his arms around her hips, parting his legs and pulling her close to him.

"I'm so sorry for what I have put you through these past few weeks, Liza. You should never have had to deal with this. But I'm done with her. We've been done since the moment she walked out, but I was just avoiding having a conversation that was two years in the making."

Liza pulled back slightly, running her fingers through his hair. "Nothing worth fighting for comes easy." She whispered, kissing his forehead. "And what we have is worth every fight. I'm sorry for running scared. I've waited for someone like you my whole life, even if I didn't know it at the time, and I don't plan on letting go anytime soon."

Charles felt his heart warm as she said those words, and that feeling quickly spread through his body, from his fingertips to his toes. He would always marvel at how a few words from Liza could quash every fear, every insecurity, every negative thought in his head. He pulled her back to him, wrapping his arms around her, not kissing her, but just holding tight onto the one he loved. For being in her arms was home, wherever they may be.


	22. Friday Night Feelings

"You certainly look happy. I'm guessing you and Charles kissed and made up?" Kelsey slipped into the seat across from Liza at East River Bar later on Friday night, smiling at the look on Liza's face. She looked, in Kelsey's opinion, like a giant weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"She hasn't been able to stop smiling since she got home 2 hours ago. It's starting to freak me out." Maggie leaned into Liza, gently bumping her in the shoulder. She was ecstatic to have the normal Liza back.

"Oh, stop it, you two. But, yes we did, Kels. He's asking Pauline for a divorce tonight."

Kelsey let a low whistle. "Woah. I mean, I'm glad for you, but that's certainly going to throw her for loop. All she can talk about is how she thinks they're getting back together. Honestly, I'm glad she's leaving for her book tour soon."

"You and me both. Listen, I'm gonna go get a refill and say hi to Clare. What do you want?"

"Vodka tonic. Thanks girl!"

Liza weaved through the crowd, making her way over to the bar. She knew she had the stupidest grin plastered across her face, but she was happy. Happier than she had been in the past month, that's for sure.

"Somebody looks happy!" Clare leaned up against the bar as Liza hopped up onto a barstool. "What can I get ya, Liza? Matchmaker discount." She smiled, nodding her head towards Josh, who was up on stage with his band, getting ready to play a set.

"Two vodka tonics." She paused and added, "And a round of tequila shots for the table. We're celebrating tonight."

"Anything in particular?"

"Just had a good day. The first in a few weeks. How it's going with you and Josh?"

Clare smiled again, but Liza noticed it didn't entirely meet her eyes. "Josh is amazing, he really is. I never expected to meet someone like him while I was here. I was just supposed to come here for work, and now I've got this wonderful guy in my life."

"It sounds like you lucked out."

"I did! But," she sighed. "Liza, can you keep a secret?"

"You have no idea how good I am at keeping secrets." Claire leaned across the bar towards Liza.

"The company I'm interning for, they don't have a job opening for me here in New York. But, they offered me a job at their office in San Francisco."

"Wow, Clare, congratulations!"

"Yeah, it's great. But it means either going back to Ireland or moving to California. I'm here on a work visa, Liza. So, either way, it means leaving Josh."

"Ahh. What do you want to do?"

"I want to take the job. But I don't want to leave New York. I love it here."

"Well, listen, all I'm going to say is this – follow your heart. You're the only person who knows what will make you truly happy. And just because there isn't a job here for you now doesn't mean that there won't be one in the future. Just think about it. Thanks for the drinks." She smiled encouragingly at Clare, but she felt an ache in her heart for Josh. She knew that he was falling hard for Clare, and she knew it would break his heart if she left.

"Finally! Ooh, shots!" Kelsey reached over and grabbed a shot off of the tray before Liza had even set it down.

"Pace yourself, woman!" Liza laughed, sliding back between Maggie and Lauren, who had joined them while Liza was fetching drinks.

"Whatever, Mom." Liza opener her mouth to retort back, but Lauren cut her off. "So, Liza, I hear you caught the Empiriconda again." The 3 other girls all choked on their drinks.

"Ohmygod, Lauren."

"Do you ever have a filter?"

"No, no, I really don't."

Liza blushed as she swallowed her drink.

"You know," Kelsey said slowly, "You never did tell us if things lived up to the hype. We all saw that picture." She grinned mischievously as Liza turned a bright shade of pink.

"From some of the sounds I've heard coming out of that bedroom, I'd say so." Maggie quipped, and she joined with a grin equal to Kelsey's as Liza turned even redder."

"Liza Miller! You've been holding out on us!"

"Honestly, I don't know how he can walk with that thing." Lauren deadpans, and Liza closes her eyes and shakes her head. If she was embarrassed right now, she couldn't imagine Charles' face if he heard the things that were being said right now.

"All I'm going to say is that I am very, very happy." Lauren shook her head at her.

"C'mon, Liza, give us details!"

Liza sighed, shaking her head. "Okay, it's the best I've ever had. Ever."

"Better than Josh?" Kelsey asks.

"With Josh it was different. Great, but different. This is just, you know, toe-curling good. Not good, amazing. Mind blowing. Okay, I'm going to go bury my head in the sand now."

"Oh please." Kelsey rolled here eyes. "What's the purpose of having a squad if you can't talk to them about sex with your man? Zane's not too shabby either."

"Better than Thad?"

"Or Chad?"

"Or tram slam? Or Anton?"

Now it was Kelsey's turn to blush. "Touché. We need more shots." She hopped off of her barstool, stumbling slightly in her sky-high heels before regaining her balance.

Liza leaned back against the wall and smiled. Tonight was a good night. Surrounded by her best friends, talking and gossiping. She had Charles back in her life, and it was only a matter of time before things were back to normal. She and Josh were settling into a comfortable friendship and she was settling into her new responsibilities at work with ease. She might not end her night in Charles' arms, but he had promised to call her later this evening, after his conversation with Pauline. She only hoped it would go smoothly for him.

Charles took a deep breath outside of the brownstone before pushing the door open. It was the zero hour, and he had rehearsed what he was going to say to Pauline the entire car ride home. He had hoped that she might be out, giving him the time to sooth his nerves with a glass of scotch. But he could see the lights on through the window. Taking another deep breath, he swung the door open.

"Hey! You're home." Pauline sat on the couch in the foyer just inside the front door, near the window, sipping a mug of something warm. She had a book in her lap, but it was closed, almost as if she had been watching for him.

"Hi." He slid his suit jacket off, hanging it on the coatrack, and loosened his tie.

"So, I was thinking we should take advantage of the girls being at your cousin's house tonight." Pauline set her mug down on the coffee table. "We could go out for dinner. Or, we could stay in." She smiled at him and Charles could read her like a book. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Pauline." He said diplomatically.

"What? Staying in or going out? We can do whatever you'd like, sweetheart."

Charles closed his eyes and exhaled. His back was to her as he poured himself a drink. He turned slowly and settled onto the edge of a chair as she folded her legs up underneath her on the couch.

"Pauline," he started slowly, "this isn't working."

"What isn't working?"

"You. Me. Us. It isn't working."

"What are you saying, Charles?" Her voice was shaky. "I thought we were doing okay."

"I'm saying that I love you, Pauline, but I'm not in love with you. I'm asking for what I should have asked for two years ago. A divorce."

Pauline leaned back and let out a huff, shaking her head. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No. I'm not. I can't pretend that everything is okay anymore. We've been over for a long time, and I think you and I both know that. We were over before you even left, or you wouldn't have left in the first place."

She stood, pacing the room. "So, you're blaming this on me?"

"No, I'm not. We both are responsible for this marriage breaking down. We both contributed to this. I just, I can't do this anymore."

"How can you be so calm, so cold?! I thought you asked me to move back in because you wanted to reconcile?"

"I'm not calm, Pauline. I'm just tired. I've had two years to be angry, to be emotional. Two of the darkest years of my life. I asked you to come back here for the girls, so you could spend some time with them. But that's over now."

"Well, I'm so glad you're making all these life decisions for us. For our family." She tossed him a dirty look as she poured some vodka into glass and tossed it back.

He could feel his temper rising, bubbling under the surface. "Like the decision you made to leave? To make me a single dad to two little girls who didn't know where Mommy went? A little hypocritical, don't you think?"

"How long are you going to throw that back in my face, Charles? I'm here now, aren't I? Doesn't that mean something?"

"Maybe. For the girls, but not for me. I'm done."

"I can't believe you're doing this."

"Well, you need to believe it. You have until the end of next week to find a new place to stay. If you don't have room for your things, I'll pay for a storage unit. I had Bob draw up divorce papers, so he'll be contacting you. Get a lawyer, Pauline."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No. I just want to do this civilly. I'm not throwing you out onto the street, but I need to protect myself, the girls, my company. We'll work out a schedule with the girls."

"How generous of you."

"I'm not going to keep them from you. You can see them this weekend. They'll be at the picnic tomorrow. You can see them whenever you'd like, but they are going to live with me."

Charles set down his glass and went to climb the stairs.

"Is there someone else?" He turned to look at her from his spot a few steps up. Her arms were crossed, her eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"Is there someone else?" She repeated. "Is that why you're doing this to me?"

"I'm doing this because I don't want to be married to you anymore. I don't know who you are anymore, Pauline, and I don't really care to. And it's really none of your business if there is someone else. My decision wouldn't be any different. Good night."

He climbed the stairs to his bedroom and leaned against the door as he closed it, breathing out a sigh of relief.

Liza was curled up in bed, half asleep, a book propped up on the pillow next to her, when her phone started vibrating on the nightstand.

"Hello?" She yawned, sitting up a little straighter and stretching.

"Did I wake you?" His voice was soft and quiet, but the sound of it had Liza sitting straight up in bed, wide awake.

"Nope, I was just reading."

"Anything good?"

"Anna Karenina. Only the good parts, though." She smiled, remembering the time he stumbled across her reading at their favorite diner.

"Ahh, a fan favorite." She could hear him smiling through the phone.

"So," Liza started, unsure of how to ask what she wanted to ask him, "how did things go?"

"They went. It wasn't pretty, but I told her exactly what I told you I was going to say. That I wasn't in love with her and hadn't been for quite a while. I told her she needed to get a lawyer, that I wanted to handle things like mature adults, but I wasn't going to budge on custody of the girls. We'll see how that goes. She yelled a little and she's definitely angry, but she had to know this was a possibility."

"I agree. I hope she realizes that this is what's best for everyone, in the long term. I certainly know what it's like to stay in a marriage past its expiration date."

"She's been stomping around the house and slamming doors for the last 20 minutes. I feel like a teenager, hiding in my bedroom."

Liza giggled, and the sound made his heart soar. He loved to hear her laugh.

"I missed that sound the past couple of weeks."

"I missed you." Liza said, quietly. "More than I ever imagined I could."

"Let's not do that again, okay? I don't know if my heart can take it."

"Mine either." They sat on the phone in silence for a moment, both crawling under the covers in their respective beds. Charles ached for Liza, craved her touch. He wished he could reach through the phone and pull her to him, wrap his arms around her and show her how much he loved her.

"She asked me if there was someone else."

Liza paused for a moment. "What did you tell her?"

"That is was none of her business. That regardless of if there was or wasn't, I would still want to end things with her."

"Would you?"

"Yes. It may have taken me a bit longer to realize it, but yes. She's the mother of my children, and I love her, but I'm not in love with her. Somebody else has that part of my heart now. Has my whole heart, actually."

Liza put a hand to her heart and sighed contentedly. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'm leaving first thing in the morning. Pauline may be there. I told her to come if she wanted to see the girls."

"Okay. Ahh, Josh will be there too. Kelsey invited him, since we invited all of our other authors."

"Should be an interesting day."

"Yes, a whole day of refereeing yard games, per Diana's instructions. She has a schedule and everything."

"Well save a little energy for me, okay? I'll give you the full tour." He tried his best to sound flirtatious and elicited another giggle from Liza.

"Of course, Mr. Brooks."

"I'll see you soon. Good night, my love."

"Goodnight, Charles." Neither of them spoke, but neither of them hung up the phone, and they drifted off to sleep together.


	23. The Incident at Pound Ridge

By the time that Liza arrived at Charles' Pound Ridge residence mid-morning, it was a bustling city of caterers and event workers. She had only seen pictures of the home and took a few minutes to take it all in. It was a beautiful brick mansion with balconies, carefully manicured gardens and ivy crawling up the side of the house, like something out of an English novel. The yard was huge, and in the distance, she saw what appeared to be a pool house and fenced in inground pool. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that this was a "vacation house". _I could fit four of my house in New Jersey in this place, _she thought, as she walked the path around to the back of the house.

A team of caterers were fluttering around a small tent, preparing tables and chafing dishes, while a group of young men finished setting up a gigantic bounce house on the other side of the lawn. Other workers were setting up a volleyball net and other various yard games. At first sight it appeared to be chaos, but in reality, it was a well-oiled machine overseen by Diana. For the past two years she had taken charge of this event, according to what Kelsey had told her, and she ran her crew of workers like members of a military team.

"Hey gorgeous." A husky, quiet voice drew Liza out of her reverie, and she spun on the spot to see Charles leaning against the door to what looked like a covered patio, partially hidden from view by manicured hydrangea bushes. Liza flipped her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head, smiling at him. He looked like he had fallen straight out of a J Crew catalog. He was wearing a navy-blue polo shirt and crisp white shorts. He looked as if he should be out sailing a yacht.

"Don't you look dashing."

"You're not looking too shabby, either." He let his eyes slide over her body slowly. She had done her hair the way she knew he liked, in soft wavy curls, but had pinned it up partially. She wore cropped jeans that were ripped carefully in places, giving him glimpses of her long, tan legs, and she wore a pink tank top that exposed her long, toned arms. She looked like a vision.

"C'mere" He tilted his head towards the room behind him, standing aside to let her walk past. He closed the door behind her, breathing in that familiar scent of coconut and vanilla.

"This place is amazing, Charles, oh." He cut her off mid-sentence, pulling her to him and backing them up against a wall. He kissed her tenderly at first, his tongue flicking lightly over her lips, gently asking permission. She welcomed him enthusiastically, emitting what he could only describe as a purr as his hands glide down her sides, his hands slipping into the back pockets of her jeans. Liza slid her hands up to his chest and onto his arms, her fingers bunching up the fabric on his sleeves. He pulled away for a second, nuzzling his head against her hers.

"Don't go home tonight." He whispered quietly. Liza lifted her hand to his cheek, lightly caressing his face. She could see the want in his eyes, feel his heart beating, rhythmic and steady, and her heart swelled with love for him. She couldn't remember anyone ever looking at her the way that he did.

"I already packed a bag. It's in the car." She leaned back into him, and he pulled her mouth to his, kissing her with a frenzied passion that made her knees weak. They continued like this for a few minutes until Liza heard Diana's voice outside the porch, terrorizing some poor worker. She started to pull away, but Charles wasn't having it.

"Diana." She murmured, pressing a hand to his chest and pushing him back. Charles sighed, leaning his head against her.

"You know, when you say your boss's name while we're making out, it's kind of kills the mood." Smiling, Liza stood up straighter, tidying her clothes.

"And she'll serve me as a side dish if I don't get out there and help her." Charles sighed and nodded towards the door.

"You better get out there then. I'll be out in a minute." He had gotten a little excited when he saw Liza and needed a minute to compose himself unless he wanted to thoroughly embarrass himself.

Liza followed the sound of Diana's voice over to the food tent, where she was chewing out a catering assistant for some ungodly reason.

"Diana!"

"Ah, you finally decided to show up, I see. Here." She thrust a small object on a chain at Liza.

"A whistle?"

"For the potato sack race."

"Oh, okay. Is there anything else I can do?"

"I'll let you know. These insipid caterers laid out the tables all wrong, but that's been taken care of. Oh, you can make sure the bartenders have enough ice. I had someone fill the freezer in the garage with bags of ice, so make sure they know where that is."

"Sounds good, boss." Liza started to walk away but paused as Diana spoke again.

"Have you spoken to Charles yet?"

Liza smiled at her. "Yes. I don't know if I would have if it weren't for you Diana. He asked her for a divorce last night."

Diana raised her eyebrows. "That'll make for an interesting day, today. She's coming, isn't she?"

"I think so."

"Tread carefully, Liza." Nodding, Liza turned and headed back out into the yard. She stopped and talked to the bartender, making sure they had everything they needed.

"Liza! Liza!" Bianca and Nicole came running around the corner of the house towards her, Charles in tow with a woman Liza assumed to be his cousin.

"Slow down, girls!" Charles called, laughing as they effectively body slammed Liza, wrapping their tiny arms around her waist. He couldn't keep the grin off of his face as he watched Liza return their hugs, reaching down to smooth their hair and kiss them on the cheek. She was a natural mother, he thought, no wonder his girls adored her.

"Is that _your_ Liza?" His cousin, Anna, leaned over and whispered to him. He had told her about Liza a long time ago. Anna, about 8 years his junior, was the closest thing he had to a sister. She had 2 daughters and a son close to Bianca and Nicole's age, and the 5 children were fast friends.

Charles nodded, not able to pull his eyes away from Liza, who had looked up at him and smiled as the girls chattered at her.

"She's beautiful, cuz. And it looks like the girls are pretty enamored with her." Anna turned and caught the expression on her cousin's face. "Looks like their Dad is too."

"She's incredible." He murmured.

"Well then, why haven't you introduced me yet?" She hooked her arm through his and pulled him towards her nieces and this new woman.

Liza stood and straightened back up as Charles walked over with "Aunt Anna", as Nicole had just referred to her before she and Bianca had run off across the lawn. She was pretty, with black hair pulled into a ponytail and eyes that were the exact same shade as Charles'.

"Liza, this is Anna Brooks-Baker, my cousin. Anna, this is Liza," he added, "my girlfriend."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Liza. My cousin here can't stop talking about you."

"Oh, really?" Liza's eyes sparkle as Charles rolled his eyes at his cousin. "Well, I'm quite the fan of his, too. It's so nice to meet you."

"Oh, I better go stop that from happening." Charles had caught sight of Bianca attempting to climb into the bounce house, her wrist cast preventing her from getting a good grip on the material to pull herself up. He jogged across the lawn, Liza watching his retreating figure.

"You've got it bad, don't you?" Anna observed, squinting at her.

"You've got no idea."

"He's told me a lot about you, Liza. Everything that the two of you have gone through to get to this point. Listen, I never liked Pauline, and I want to like you because he," she pointed to Charles, "is head over heels in love with you, but I swear to god, if you hurt him, it won't be pretty."

"Anna, I don't plan on hurting him. I love him too, very much."

"Well then," she said, sliding her sunglasses back down over her eyes and checking her Michael Kors watch, "we won't have a problem. Tell Chucky that I'll pick the girls up at 6:00. They're having a camp out at my house with their cousins."

"Absolutely. Again, it was really nice to meet you, Anna. I hope we get a chance to talk again soon."

"I'm planning on it. See you later, Liza." Liza watched her walk away before turning her attention back to the party.

The next hour or so passed quickly as employees and authors alike started to arrive. The noise level continued to rise as the yard became populated with children milling around the bounce house, blowing bubbles and crowding around the face painting booth and the guy making animal balloons that Diana had hired. A group of scantily clad interns led by Becky started a pickup game of volleyball and the women from HR settled themselves into a row of chairs within reach of the bar.

Liza saw Pauline arrive, brushing past Charles and making a beeline for the girls, who ran to her and hugged her. She watched Charles watch from a distance for a moment, before turning to her and smiling at her from across the lawn.

Kelsey arrived a few minutes after Pauline with Josh and Clare in tow. She settled in with them, fetching them all drinks and playing a round of yard Jenga, she and Clare teaming up against Kelsey and Josh. Every few minutes she scanned the yard for Charles, catching his eye and grinning across the room or blowing him a discreet kiss. He passed by their game a few times, pausing to watch as Liza struggled to push a piece out of the precariously leaning puzzle. Her face was scrunched up in concentration, and he thought she looked absolutely adorable.

After Kelsey toppled the Jenga game, Liza excused herself from their group to go get a drink and see if Diana needed any assistance. Grabbing a bottle of water from a bucket of ice, she turned and ran right into Pauline.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Pauline. Didn't see you there." She smiled tightly at her and turned to walk away, but Pauline reached out and touched her lightly on the arm.

"I haven't seen you all week, Liza. Is everything alright?"

"Of course. It's just been busy, that's all."

"Me too." Pauline said absentmindedly, her eyes straying to where Charles sat with Bianca and Nicole on the lawn, deep in conversation about something. Liza followed her eyes and squirmed, trying to think of a quick way to excuse herself.

"He asked me for a divorce last night." Pauline nodded at Charles. "Kind of took me by surprise."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Pauline."

"I don't know what to do Liza. He made it pretty clear that there's no chance of us ever getting back together. What do you think I should do?"

Liza swallowed uncomfortably. She couldn't have this conversation with Pauline, that was for sure. "Pauline, it's really not my place to commentate on your marriage. But you've got to find a way to move forward, regardless of what happens. You can't go back and change what happened."

"You're quite the diplomat, Liza. Always finding the right thing to say to people."

"Trust me, I'm not that good at talking. I tend to ramble."

"I asked him if he was seeing anyone. He didn't really give me an answer. I know I've asked before, but are you sure you don't know anything? Please, Liza, I'm desperate here."

"Pauline, I've had this conversation with you before, and I'm not going to have it again. And I'm sorry, but I've got to run. Diana has me officiating all these yard games. Sorry." Liza turned and walked away before Pauline could say anything. She strode over to Bianca and Nicole, bending down next to them. Charles watched her striding across the lawn and saw Pauline eyeing them, expressionless.

"Everything okay?" He asked, quietly, as she bent down by the girls.

"Yeah. So, who's ready for the potato sack race?!" She smiled down at the girls.

"No! I wanted to do the three-legged race first!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Alrighty then, three-legged race it is!" Liza stood and whistled, yelling out to the crowd that it was time for the games to begin. Grinning, she reached out a hand to Charles to help him up off the ground. The two walked behind the girls, arms casually grazing. Bianca turned and looked up at Charles.

"Daddy, whose gonna be your partner?"

"Oh, I'll probably sit this one out. I'm a little old for races."

"No, Daddy, please!"

"Yeah, Dad, pretty please!" Both girls put on their best pout and it was clear to Liza that they had Charles completely wrapped around their fingers.

"Liza can be your partner." Nicole looked up at Liza, eyes wide and puppylike, and she had to admit that they had her hooked pretty bad as well. Charles looked over at her and shrugged, his eyes glinting.

"If the boss insists." He grinned at her, taking the whistle out of her hand and waving Zane over. "Do you mind, Zane? Liza's been commandeered by my girls."

"No problem, boss." Zane jogged down to the head of the line as Liza and Charles settled in between Bianca and Nicole and Josh and Clare.

"Liza, will you tie our rope?" Bianca waved around the short piece of rope meant to bind her to Nicole.

"Of course, sweetie." She bent down and wrapped the rope around the girls' legs, whispering something to them that made them both burst into a fit of giggles. Charles watched from a few feet away, overcome with a surge of pride and affection. His girls were more open and affectionate with Liza than most people, their mother included. And the way Liza so effortlessly bonded with them made him fall even more in love with her, if that was possible. She stood, helping the girls get back into line and walked back over to him, a piece of rope in her hand.

"I've got it." He took the rope from her and bent down; his left leg pressed against her right. He felt her hand rest on his back to steady herself, and he could feel the blood rushing to the southern regions of his body as he reached down and grazed her thigh as he wrapped the rope around their legs, once, twice, three times, tying a knot at the front. He straightened slowly and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "We should hold onto a few of these ropes for later, Ms. Miller." Liza turned a shade of pink and started coughing and he smirked, triumphant.

"Three, two, one, Go!" Zane blew the whistle and the pairs started wobbling across the lawn to the line 30 feet away. Liza caught sight of a few people topple over, and she snaked her arm around Charles to stabilize herself. Bianca and Nicole were a few feet ahead of them and Clare and Josh were right next to them. She saw Clare trip out of the corner of her eye and turned her head, but at the same moment she lost her balance.

"Oh shit, we're going down!" She felt Charles grab onto her as they tumbled onto the ground, collapsing in a fit of laughter.

Pauline watched the scene unfold from the shadow of an oak tree on the side of the lawn. She had been annoyed by being brushed off by her editor. Liza was supposed to be her friend, wasn't she? Instead, she treated Pauline like an annoyance now that the book was done. What was her problem? She had watched, her temper continuing to rise, as Liza had gone over to her girls, who treated her like she was their long-lost best friend. She was struggling to connect with the girls, who were still mildly standoffish with her, and in waltzed Liza, and they couldn't stop hugging her and giggling with her. It made Pauline's blood boil. She knew she shouldn't be jealous of her, but she couldn't help it. That should be me, she thought, as she watched Liza make her way across the lawn with Charles, watched her talk with the girls, helping them get ready for the race.

She watched as Charles leaned over and said something to Liza, watched as he had bound them together with a rope and wrapped his arm around Liza as they fumbled their way across the lawn. They fell down at the same time as the blonde girl and that tattooed guy, she had seen Liza with earlier, a tangle of limbs. She could feel the blood rushing to her head as she tried to process what was going through her mind. She had never seen Charles act that casually, that comfortably around another woman, except for her. The way he talked to Liza, the way he looked at her. Something was going on that she didn't know about, and she intended to find out.

The afternoon wore on peacefully as the crowd began to dwindle. Liza could feel the exhaustion of the last few days settling in and wanted nothing more than to disappear into an airconditioned room and take a nap. Diana had thankfully not handed off any more tasks to her, which was out of character, but Liza was choosing to take full advantage, and was sitting in a lawn chair, waiting for Kelsey to come back with drinks. She had had a few more drinks than normal and was definitely feeling a buzz. Which, in hindsight, was probably the only reason why she had brushed Pauline off earlier instead of talking to her. She was just sick of it, sick of her. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but part of her wanted Pauline to find out about her and Charles, just to get it out of the way.

"Penny for your thoughts." Josh climbed into Kelsey's vacated chair, a beer in his hand. Liza squinted over at him.

"Just thinking. Where's Clare?"

"At the bar with Kels. Those two can knock em back."

"You're no lightweight, mister. But, yes, they can." She waved across the lawn to Charles, who had glanced over at her as he spoke with a departing employee. They seemed to have a radar for each other – all afternoon they had scanned the crown for each other, quickly finding the other and returning a smile or a wave.

"How are things with you two?" He nodded towards Charles. "I'm not a fan, but I want to make sure you're happy, Liza, and the last time I saw you with him, you definitely weren't."

"It's been tricky, but we're figuring things out. He told Pauline he wants a divorce."

Josh nodded. "That's good, I guess. Not for her, but for you."

"Liza!" Their conversation was cut off as Diana called to her, waving her over.

"Duty calls. Talk more later?"

"Yeah. We're probably going to take off in a bit, but let's get together soon. I miss talking to you Liza." She stood and rested a hand on Josh's shoulder. "I miss talking to you too, Josh. I want us to be friends."

"Me too."

"Ready to go, girls?" Charles ushered the girls out the back door of the house after spending the last 20 minutes struggling to get them to focus long enough to finish packing their bags. They had indulged in a little too much cotton candy this afternoon, and were wired, bouncing off the walls and collapsing into incoherent fits of giggles. It was adorable, but exhausting. Anna would have her hands full tonight. So would he, Charles thought, but for an entirely different reason, a reason that stirred something inside of him. It had been too long since he had been with Liza, the two of them alone together.

"We've gotta go say goodbye to Mommy."

"Alrighty," he said, crouching down to give them hugs. "Be good for Aunt Anna tonight, okay? I'll pick you up tomorrow and we'll go home. How about pizza for dinner tomorrow?" He knew he shouldn't, that he should make a proper dinner, but the girls loved pizza, and he felt guilty for the tumultuous past couple of weeks. He would have to tell them tomorrow that Pauline was moving out, he thought, and god only knows how they would take that. He also resolved to tell them about Liza, because he wanted them to get to know her as Dad's girlfriend, not as Liza the babysitter.

"Bye, Daddy. Love you. Bye Liza!" The girls called out to Liza, who was standing on the second-floor balcony of the house, talking to Kelsey and Diana. Most of the guests had gone, and the caterers and other workers were packing up the last of their things. Pauline was around here somewhere, and Josh and his girlfriend were still here, which mildly annoyed him, but Liza had mentioned something about them having driven out here with Kelsey. He just wanted everyone to leave. Everyone except Liza.

Liza waved to them from her spot on the balcony, blowing them kisses, which they returned, giggling, before running over to Pauline, who was sitting on a bench off to the side of the lawn, scrolling through her phone. He shook his head and retreated inside to his study to grab the final check for the caterer.

"You two be good for Anna, okay? I love you and I'll see you soon." Pauline kissed both girls on the forehead before watching them run to Charles's cousin Anna, who glanced in Pauline's direction and gave her a curt nod. Anna had never liked her and had made no qualms about letting Pauline know that. She stood, watching, as the girls piled into Anna's SUV and closed the door, never turning to wave a final goodbye to her.

"They're great kids. Bianca and Nicole." The tattooed guy that had been hanging out with Liza came up beside him, watching as the SUV pulled out of the driveway. Pauline recognized him as Josh. She had spent the last few minutes scrolling through Instagram, looking at Liza and Kelsey's feeds, trying to piece together some information. She was scouring for some sort of clue that might give her some insight into the personal lives of the women that Charles spent so much of his time with. Liza's Instagram was smattered with pictures of her with this Josh guy. It looked like they had dated for a while, but he was with that willowy Irish girl now. Most of the other pictures were of her and Kelsey, or her and a black-haired woman named Maggie. She caught sight of Charles in a few pictures, but they mostly looked like pictures from publishing events, and they were always part of a larger group. Nothing useful.

"I'm Josh, by the way. A friend of Liza and Kelsey's."

"Nice to meet you, Josh. I'm Pauline. Turner-Brooks." She added. Pauline Turner, now, she thought, icily.

"Ahh, the other ex. Nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out to shake hers, but she made no move to reciprocate.

"What do you mean, the other ex?"

He looked at her for a second, a stupidly confused look on his face. "I'm Liza's ex-boyfriend. You're Charles's ex-wife, right?"

"Not quite yet. But yes, I'm his wife. Are you telling me that they are, that they're, together?" Her voice shook with a quiet rage. She stood, staring at this idiotic, overly tattooed 20 something, trying to process what she thought he was telling her.

"Oh, shit. Listen, I'm sorry. I thought you knew." He ran his hand through his hair and looked like he wanted to dissipate into thin air.

"How long?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. A couple months, maybe. But listen, I know I don't know you, don't know anything about you, but I know Liza. Better than most people. She's happy. They're happy. Respect that, will you?"

He turned, walking away quickly towards the driveway, glancing back at her quickly. Shit, shit, shit, he thought. He hadn't meant to do that. He was trying to help. And why the fuck hadn't Liza and Charles told her they were dating. What the fuck? He pulled out his phone and typed out two quick texts.

_Kels, we're ready to go. Meet us by the car._

_L, I may have accidently just told Pauline about you and Charles. Thought she knew. Sry._

"Josh and Clare want to get going. I think I'm going to take off." Kelsey swallowed the last of her drink, setting the empty glass on the wooden railing of the balcony.

"Please tell me that you're not driving."

"No, no. Zane offered to drive us home. I'll see you two on Monday?" Kelsey waved a hand goodbye to Liza and Diana. Diana had been giving them a tour of the house, and they had ended up on the balcony with 3 glasses and a bottle of sipping tequila.

"Thank you for all of your assistance today, Liza." Diana leaned over the balcony. "It looks like they're just about done down there, so we're free to go, I think. Do you need a ride back to the city? I'm not going to Brooklyn, but I can have my driver drop you off at the subway."

"Actually," Liza paused, squirming a little. "I'm not going back to the city until tomorrow."

Diana appraised her for a moment, her eyebrow slightly arched. "Ahh, so you talked, then?"

"Yes, we did."

"People should always heed my advice." Diana smiled slightly, shaking her head. How her awkward assistant had bagged the most eligible man in the publishing world would continue to astound her, but she couldn't help but admit that she liked seeing them together.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and both women turned to see Pauline standing in the doorway, arms crossed, looking particularly foul.

"I need to speak with Liza for a moment. Alone." With a pointed look at Diana, Pauline stepped out onto the balcony.

"I'll just take these insides." Diana picked up the empty glasses and the bottle of tequila, making a point to leave the door open as she stepped inside.

Liza smiled and turned back towards the lawn. The sun was starting to slowly set, casting an orangish glow on everything.

"What can I do for you, Pauline?" She felt the blonde walk forward and stop next to her, her hands resting on the railing.

"Surveying your new kingdom, are you?"

Liza fell still and silent for a moment as the words sunk in. She knows, Liza thought, with the sinking feeling like all of the blood in her body was draining out of her.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Pauline."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. I know about you and Charles. How long have you been screwing my husband, Liza? Is that how you got your job? By fucking your boss?"

Liza could feel her face turning red, but she wasn't going to let Pauline speak to her like that. Like she had the right. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Pauline."

"Like hell. Are you denying it?"

"No, I'm not. We are seeing each other, but only recently. I've worked for Empirical for a year and a half. I only started dating him two months ago."

"All this time, you've been lying to my face. You both have!"

"It's more complicated than that, Pauline, and you know it. I've kept my distance since you returned. I wanted Charles to decide on his own what he wanted to do. I would have stepped aside if he decided to reconcile with you, even though I love him."

"Love? Don't kid. You're just like every other little bitch that latches on to a successful man. He and I would be together right now if it weren't for you, you little homewrecker." And with that, she reached up and slapped Liza across the face, with as much strength as she could muster. Liza staggered back, her hand flying up to her cheek.

"You need to leave, Pauline, right now. Go." The words were not said by Liza, who was still shell shocked, eyes wide, but by Diana, who had walked back out just as Pauline had made contact with Liza. She stepped aside in the doorway, a cold look on her face, gesturing for Pauline to go.

"No, I'm not leaving. This is my house."

"But it's not, is it? Leave now, Pauline, if you know what's good for you." Diana stepped back as Pauline huffed and turned on her heel, stomping past Diana, back into the house and down the stairs.

"Are you alright?" She wrapped her arm around Liza, pulling her towards the door and back into the house. They stepped back inside, onto the second-floor landing. Downstairs a door slammed, and the sound of Pauline's raised voice filled the air.

"Let's get you out of here for a few minutes." Diana pulled Liza down the stairs quietly and out onto the patio, pulling her onto the covered porch where Liza and Charles had sequestered themselves this morning.

"Are you alright?" Diana repeated. Liza still hadn't said anything, and Diana watched as she sunk into a lounge chair and breathed out heavily, like a deflated balloon.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Diana. That just threw me for a loop."

"She's out of control. It's always the quiet ones that surprise you." The double entendre of Diana's statement wasn't lost on Liza, and she let out a small laugh.

"You don't have to wait here with me, Diana. You've had a long day, and you don't need to be caught up in this drama. I'm just going to hide out here for a while."

Diana surveyed her, concerned. "Are you sure?" She felt protective of Liza, and even though she knew she could handle herself, was hesitant to leave.

Liza smiled weakly and nodded. "Absolutely. Go home. I'll see you Monday."

"Well, alright then. See you Monday." She stood to leave, stopping briefly to rest a hand on Liza's shoulder and give her a reassuring squeeze. "Goodnight, Liza."

Charles had just come back inside from paying the caterer, his final work-related task of the day, and was intent on tracking Liza down when he heard his office door slam and saw Pauline stomping down the hallway towards him. He turned, walking into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Don't walk away from me, Charles. I need to talk to you." She stood in the doorway, watching him reach for a glass and fill it with water. He turned, taking a sip, and leaning against the counter.

"What now, Pauline? I've had a long day."

"Well, it's not over yet. I know about her. About Liza."

Charles closed his eyes briefly. So, they were going to do this now, he thought. Might as well rip off the band aid.

"You lied to me! All this time, you were lying to me. I asked you yesterday if there was anyone else, and you said no."

"No, I said it was none of your business. And it isn't. My relationship with Liza is exactly that. MY relationship. You and I have been over for a long time. I've moved on."

"With an assistant at your office? That's your plan? To screw some hot young girl at work? You're quite the cliché, Charles." She snarled; her voice laden with disdain. "I never would have taken you for the mid-life crisis sort of man, but here we are."

"Don't speak to me like that. What gives you the right?" He tossed the glass into the sink, the sound of metal on glass echoing through the room. He could feel his temper rising, the blood pumping loudly through his body. "Liza isn't some mid life crisis. I've had feelings, strong feelings, for her for a long time. I'm in love with her, Pauline. Not you, her. You're just going to have to accept that. Liza isn't going anywhere. She is a part of my life, and she is going to be in our children's lives. You made the decision to leave us, and I've made the decision to move on. Deal with it."

Pauline rolled her eyes and shook her head. "If you think I'm going to let some perky 20 something become stepmother to Bianca and Nicole, you've got another thing coming, Charles."

"She's not in her 20s, Pauline. She's 40 years old. She has a daughter in college." At the look on her face, he added, in a quieter voice. "She's not a fling, Pauline."

"She never told me that."

"Well, she doesn't feel the need to air every detail of her personal life out in the open."

She narrowed her eyes at him, shifting from one foot to the other. "This isn't over, Charles. Not by a long shot."

"I don't expect it is. But for tonight, you're finished. Leave. Now. And you should make arrangements to stay somewhere else. You're not coming back to the brownstone."

"You said I could have a week." She protested, crossing her arms and glaring at him like a petulant teenager.

"I will gather your belongings and have them ready for you to pickup Monday afternoon while the girls are at their summer program. But I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay there anymore."

"Fine." She grabbed her purse off of the table near the door, throwing him one last dirty look before exiting the room and slamming the front door behind her. Charles followed her to the door, watching as she climbed into her Mercedes and tore out of the driveway. He shook his head as if to get rid of all thought of her, and his eyes fell on the blue SUV still sitting in the driveway. Liza.

Charles spent the next few minutes wandering through the house, calling for Liza. He checked all the bedrooms and the second-floor library. Every empty room he met felt like a stone in his stomach, twisting him up into knots. What if she had left with someone else? What had Pauline said to her? He could curse Pauline for causing all of this unnecessary drama. He just wanted to be with Liza, and it felt like every obstacle was being shoved in their way. He was just so sick of it all. He returned downstairs, checking all of the rooms and resolving, no, praying, that she was outside somewhere. He walked out to the porch where he had pulled her in for kiss earlier this morning. A lamp was on, but she was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, he walked back out onto the lawn. It was a gorgeous night. The sun had gone down while he was inside, and the trampled lawn was now a sea of darkness.

A glimmer of light out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned towards it. Towards the pool house, where he saw, with great relief, the shadow of a slim figure sitting on the edge of the pool. Relief washed over him, and his mind began to clear as he walked across the lawn. The knots in his stomach dissipated, and it was as if his entire world had righted itself.

He opened the gate to the patio surrounding the pool and stepped inside. He slipped off his shoes and socks, setting them on a nearby table and walked over to where Liza sat, completely absorbed in thought. Sitting down next to her, he dipped his feet into the cool water, letting the sensation settle in before he spoke.

"I thought you might have left. I couldn't find you."

"Just needed to take a little walk. I'm guessing she talked to you?"

"More like yelled, but yes. She accused me of using you as a midlife crisis. I set her straight. Told her that she needed to get used to us, that you weren't going anywhere. Hey," he murmured, turning and pulling her hair away from her face and tipping her face up to his. "It's going to be okay. What happened to your face?" He had caught sight of the red welt on her cheek."

"That would be the work of your wife."

Charles felt his blood run cold. "She did that to you?"

"It's not big of a deal."

"Yes, it is, Liza. We're all adults here, for god's sake. She's acting like a teenager."

Liza turned, swallowing, pulling her feet out of the water and folding them underneath her. She reached over to take one of Charles's hands in both of hers.

"I really, really, don't want to talk about her anymore, Charles. I just want to be here, with you."

He ran his free hand up her arm and cradled her head, his thumb running gently over the welt on her face. "I've wanted nothing more than this all day. Being here, alone, with you, it's all I could think about Liza. You're all I can ever think about. I love you so much." Charles leaned in, kissing her gently on the lips and moving slowly to kiss her neck and that sweet spot just by her ear that sent shivers through her whole body. She sighed out slowly as he rose, his hand outstretched. Without hesitation, or a word spoken between them, she accepted, her hand fitting perfectly into his as he led her into the pool house.

He didn't turn on any lights as he led her through the living room and kitchen and down a narrow hallway. He pushed open a door at the end of the hallway into a bedroom that was lit only by the moonlight and the light from the patio shining through the windows.

He closed the door behind them and took Liza in his arms, wrapping his around her waist as she slid her around his neck. He leaned in to kiss her, repeating the words he had spoken moments ago. "I love you so much, Liza. I've missed you so much."

Liza's eyes misted over, and she swallowed, slowly, overcome with emotion. With love for this amazing man in front of her. "I love you too." She could feel her insides liquefy as his eyes glinted at her words before darkening with desire. She gasped as he reached down and lifted her, bride style, and carried her over to the bed.

He laid her down gently, but stood back up, his eyes never leaving hers. Slowly he reached down and unbuckled her sandals, tossing them onto the floor. He pulled off his shirt and unbuckled his shorts, letting the clothes land in a pile on the floor. Liza felt that familiar sensation of intense desire fill her body as he stood at the end of the bed only in his briefs. He ran his hands slowly from her ankles to her thighs, reaching up to flick open her jeans and tug them off. She arched her hips up to help him and saw that intoxicating flash of desire cross his eyes. She reached down and pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it in the direction of the floor.

Charles climbed back up onto the bed and propped himself up on one elbow, hovering over her. He leaned and kissed her on her neck, moving up to her ear and back towards her lips, leaving a burning trail of fire on her skin. She bit her lip and moaned into his mouth as he met hers. She felt his hand reach under her and unhook her bra, expertly unhooking it and extracting it from between their bodies. He moved his head lower, taking one of her breasts in his mouth and the other in his hand, leaving Liza's writhing underneath him, her hands gripping the sheets as she arched up against him. She felt like every nerve in her body was on fire and her body tingled everywhere he touched her.

Charles reached down and hooked a finger over the edge of her panties, pulling them down and off of her feet, and then doing the same with his briefs. He needed them to be bare to each other, skin to skin, no barriers between them. Liza moaned again as he ground his hips into her as he covered her mouth with his once again, feeling how ready he was for her. She parted her legs, wrapping one around his hip to pull him close to her as she arched her back, silently begging him to give her what she so desperately needed. She heard him growl deep in his throat and he lifted his mouth from hers for a moment to whisper. "I need you, Liza."

"I'm yours." She whispered back, her lips millimeters from his. He searched her eyes for a moment, seeing nothing but love and desire reflected back into his. He covered her mouth with his and slowly slid into her, taking his time. Because, now, finally, they had all the time in the world.


	24. Sweet Sunday

"Knock, knock." Maggie pushed open the door to Liza's bedroom on late Sunday afternoon, to the sight of her friend laying flat on her back, surrounded by the pile of laundry she had started to fold an hour ago. "You alive in here?"

Liza yawned, propping her elbows up on the bed. She had meant to fold the piles of laundry, but her exhaustion had gotten the better of her. She had arrived home just before noon after spending the morning with Charles. They had woken slowly and, at her suggestion, had taken a dip in the pool before returning to the main house for breakfast. There she had sat at the breakfast nook in the kitchen, watching him whip up pancakes and eggs. Sitting there, she had let her mind wander into the future, imaging long weekends there with Charles and the girls, and Caitlin, reading, swimming, just relaxing. She pictured coming up here in the fall, when the leaves were just starting to turn, and spending long hours in the library with a book or raking leaves into piles with the girls. She found herself wasting away a lot of time fantasizing about the future with Charles, and she didn't feel bad about it in the slightest. It filled her with a sense of comfort and peace that left her feeling warm and fuzzy in all the right places.

"I'm alive. Just tired." She was also sore, her limbs feeling like they were weighed down with bricks. The reason for that, though, left her smiling. "What's up?"

"Uhm, Josh is here. Wants to talk to you." Maggie arched an eyebrow and shrugged.

"I think I know why. He can come in." Liza made no move to get off the bed and fiddled with a freshly laundered shirt belonging to Charles that he had left, folding it into a neat square. She hadn't even looked at her phone until this morning, when she saw the text from Josh that he had sent. She was annoyed, that was for sure. No one knew how Pauline would have reacted if she had found out another way, but Josh blabbing to her was definitely not part of the plan.

A moment later her bedroom door opened again, and Josh stepped in. "Hey, Liza." He folded his arms, a little sheepishly, and leaned against the doorframe.

"Hi."

"So, uh, you got my text last night, right? I'm sorry about that." He said it so casually, so nonchalantly, like he had forgotten to take out the garbage.

"Well, that's something, I guess. She didn't know, Josh. We hadn't told her about us yet."

Josh shrugged. "I didn't know that. Dude, I'm sorry, Liza. I thought she would have known already. You guys have been together for a while now."

"And it's a complicated situation that probably just got a whole lot more complicated because of you. They're in the middle of divorcing, and she's doing a book for us."

"You're seriously pissed off at me about this? I came over here to apologize, Liza."

"I'm not pissed, Josh. I'm frustrated. I'm annoyed. I'm tired. I know you didn't mean any malice by doing what you do. But I have a right to be upset. We're still friends, Josh, I just need some time."

Josh didn't say anything for a moment, taking a look around the room. He hadn't been in here since before they had broken up earlier that year, and he noticed subtle changes. New sheets, a bottle of cologne sitting on the dresser, a few ties hanging over the edge of the chair by the window, and some men's jeans and shirts folded, sitting neatly on the seat of the same chair. Like Charles was staking his claim on this room and the woman that occupied it. He noticed that she had taken the pictures of the two of them down. The only sign that he was even still in her life was a framed picture of the group at Lauren's hot mitzvah, sitting on a shelf by the window.

"Things sure have changed, haven't they?"

"Yes, they have." Liza answered quietly. She wasn't in the mood to have another conversation like this with Josh. She wondered if Clare had talked to him yet.

Josh sighed, defeated. "Okay, I'll leave you to it." He turned to leave and paused, bumping his hand on the doorframe. "You're happy, right, Liza?

A serene smile came over her face, and it felt like a kick in the gut to Josh. "I am. Very happy."

"Good." He glanced back at her one more time as she returned to folding the clothes scattered across her bed and tried to shake the sense of overwhelming loss that had suddenly come over him.

Across town, Charles collapsed into a chair in the living room, taking advantage of the first 5 minutes of peace and quiet he had been able to enjoy since arriving home with the girls. He wished he had 1/10th of their energy. He had been reluctant to see Liza off this morning, wanting nothing more than for her to spend the rest of the day with him and the girls. He wanted to have her at home with him all the time, but knew it was too early to even consider asking her to move in, for fear of spooking her. He was still fuming over the fact that Pauline had lowered herself to the level of hitting Liza. Liza didn't deserve that, and he fully intended to air his disappointment in Pauline to her.

He had packed up the rest of Pauline's things this afternoon as the girls played dress up in one of the playrooms. She had quickly settled back into the house, and he found her belongings scattered everywhere. He packed everything carefully into boxes and stacked them near the front door. He didn't want any reason for her to linger tomorrow when she came by. The girls had not even mentioned her since he had picked them up from Anna's house. He would talk to them over pizza about what was going on. And he would talk to them about Liza. He was ready to have her fully in his life, and he wanted her to have the opportunity to get to know the girls better. She had mentioned wanting to have them meet Caitlin, and he knew it was only a matter of time before that happened.

"Daddy, when's the pizza going to be here? I'm hunnnngggry." Bianca wandered into the room, and he scooped her up into his lap. Bianca giggled, looking over his shoulder. He heard Nicole giggle behind him, and he reached his arm around, scooping her up and pulling her over the edge of the chair, one girl on each knee. They were growing so fast, he thought, too fast.

"Soon, kiddo. I called a few minutes ago." Bianca nuzzled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Now is as good a time as any, he thought.

"I want to talk to you two about a couple of things, is that okay?" He stood and resituated them in the chair he had just vacated, choosing to sit down on the edge of the coffee table in front of them.

"Is this about Mommy, Dad?" Nicole asked bluntly, sitting up.

"Yes, part of it is. Mommy isn't going to be staying here anymore. She and I have been talking, and we're going to live in separate houses from now on, okay?"

"Are you getting a divorce?" Nicole asked. He studied her face for a moment. She didn't seem upset, but the question had taken him by surprise.

"Yes, we are, Nicole." He reached out and took one of their hands in each of his. "I love Mommy very much, but we just aren't happy anymore. That doesn't mean that we love either of you any less. We both love you, so, so much. But we just don't love each other like we used to."

"Do we have to move houses? I like my room, Daddy." Bianca looked up at him, a little woefully.

"No. You guys are going to live here. I don't know if Mommy is going to have a house here yet or if she wants to live somewhere else, but you are staying here. You can see Mommy whenever you want to, okay? All you have to do is ask."

"Okay. We like living here with you, Daddy."

"I like you living here, too." He smiled warmly at both of them. They looked a little sad, but not as upset as he had anticipated. "Now, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?"

"How would the two of you feel if I started spending time with another lady? If she came over for dinner and watched movies with us and we did fun stuff together?"

Nicole eyed him cautiously before asking "It's not that Radha lady, is it? I didn't like her very much."

"Me neither. She wasn't very friendly, and she never played with us. Not like Liza plays with us."

He grinned as they said her name. "How would you feel if it was Liza? If she started spending more time here with you two, with me?" Both of their faces lit up.

"Would she have sleepovers with us? Nicole, we could build a fort with Liza!"

"She would love to have sleepovers with you two. She makes awesome pancakes, too."

"Is Liza your girlfriend, Dad?" Nicole was batting 100% with the questions tonight. When did she become so mature?

"Yes, she is. Is that okay?"

"Do you love her like you used to love Mommy?"

"Very much."

"Okay." Bianca shrugged. "I love Liza."

"Me too." Nicole added, smiling shyly at her Dad.

"Me three" Charles added, and the girls grinned toothily back at him. The doorbell rang, and all thoughts of anything but pizza were erased from the girls' minds.

_You still awake? _ Liza picked up the cell phone as it buzzed on the couch cushion next to her. She and Maggie had settled in to watch a few episodes of Downton Abbey (her forty something guilty pleasure) with a bottle of wine, and Maggie had dozed off halfway through episode two. Liza wasn't that far behind her.

_Barely. Someone kept me up all night. _

_Ditto x Can I call you?_

_Of course._ She stood as the phone began to ring, answering in a whisper as she turned off the tv and walked into her bedroom, closing the door.

"Hey you."

"Hey." Her body warmed at the sound of his voice, as smooth and velvety as a drink of fine whiskey. She settled onto the bed, leaning against a pillow. She hated spending a night apart from him, but she loved these late-night conversations that they had become accustomed to.

"How was your day with the girls?" He yawned in response, and she giggled. "That good, huh?"

"I love them, but my god, they're exhausting. I told them about the divorce though."

"How'd they take it?" She remembered telling Caitlin about her separation from David. She had been a little upset, but she was 17 years old, not 7 and 9.

"Pretty good, actually. They didn't seem too upset. They were more concerned about if they were going to have to move."

"They'll have questions, trust me. They haven't fully processed it yet. You know, this whole situation has reminded me that my divorce hasn't been finalized yet."

"It hasn't?"

"No. I was supposed to sign the papers the night I ended up in the hospital. So, I'm going to call David and the attorney this week and see if we can get this settled. I want a clean slate."

"Me too. I told the girls about us to." He paused, waiting for her response.

"Oh? How'd they take that?"

"Liza, they're thrilled. They're already planning all the things they want to do with you. Be prepared for forts and Polly pockets." He smiled as she laughed.

"I can't wait."

"I was thinking you could come over for dinner with them this week. Pauline will be here tomorrow to pick up her things. I don't know if she is going to want them at all, but she leaves for the book tour next week."

"I'd love to have dinner with you and the girls. Maybe breakfast, too." She could almost hear his smile through the phone.

"I'd like that. I thought we could do something with Caitlin this weekend. It's the 4th of July. We could do a picnic in the park or something."

"I'll check with her and see if she is free. I think she is."

"Sounds like a plan." He yawned again, trying to stifle it so that she wouldn't hear how tired he was, but he couldn't fool her.

"Go to bed, old man. You need your rest after last night."

"So, do you. You know, we never got around to using those ropes." His voice got husky and deep, and it liquified Liza's insides. It was insane how he could turn her on with just a few words. It still took her by surprise when he said something like that to her. He was so buttoned up and professional and charismatic, but she knew how truly primal and sexual he could be. If felt like their little secret, and it certainly made it difficult for her to focus in staff meetings.

"I'll have to take a raincheck on that, baby."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"You better." He chuckled, wishing desperately that he could reach through the phone and pull her to him, onto the empty bed beside him.

"Goodnight, my love. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, babe. See you tomorrow." Liza disconnected, reluctantly, but crawled into bed with a happy heart. Things were finally looking up.


	25. Fireworks

As the week progressed, Liza couldn't help but marvel at how things had changed in the past week. A week ago she had been depressed, emotionally exhausted, and just plain tired. She had thought her life was unraveling at the seams and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

It was now Friday of the following week, and she was happier than she had been for as long as she could remember. She sat on the couch in the loft, reflecting on the past few days as she waited for Caitlin to arrive. They were going to Charles's house for dinner so that Caitlin could meet Bianca and Nicole before the 4th of July party tomorrow.

Monday, for the most part, had been peaceful and productive. After recapping the Pauline related events of Saturday night to Kelsey over coffee on the walk to work, she had settled in to do some marketing work for Diana on a few Empirical projects that ended up taking up most of her day. She smiled as she remembered the looks that she and Charles had exchanged from across the room whenever they came across each other. Even if they weren't working together on a project, they each acknowledged a profound sense of intimacy in their shared passion for their work that only brought them closer. Charles had left midday to meet Pauline at the house to pick up the last of her possessions.

According to Charles, it hadn't been a particularly friendly exchange, but it was over and done with. Pauline had arrived with both barrels blazing, full of sarcastic and snide comments about Liza and their relationship, all of which Charles refused to share with Liza. He had called Pauline out on her altercation with Liza on the balcony, for which she refused to apologize. Charles had admitted to Liza that he nearly lost his composure with Pauline when she refused to apologize but had instead helped load her boxes into the moving van in an attempt to avoid fueling the fire. She had apparently rented a 2-bedroom apartment a few blocks away so that she could remain close to the girls. They had agreed that she could have them from Wednesday until Friday afternoon, but that they would be spending the holiday weekend with Charles. They had also scheduled a meeting with their attorneys in two weeks, when Pauline returned from her book tour. Liza had done the same, scheduling a meeting next week with her divorce attorney and David. They were going to get this divorce over and done with, no matter what.

They had spent Monday night apart, unfortunately, but Charles had facetimed her with the girls just before bedtime, and it had been delightful. Her heart swelled at the memory of Charles propping the iPad up on a pillow while he read a bedtime story to the girls, and how Bianca had turned and kissed the screen, murmuring, "G'night, Liza" before resting her head on her pillow. Those girls had her heart, that was for sure.

Tuesday, she had gone over to the brownstone for dinner with Charles and the girls, and that had been an amazing experience. The girls had been waiting at the door for her, and she hadn't even made it up the steps before they had pulled the door open and run to her, hugging her. They had grabbed her hands and tugged her inside, jabbering incoherently about Polly pockets and pulling her towards the stairs. Charles had jogged out of the kitchen, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, and a dish towel slung over his shoulder, and Liza had struggled to keep from drooling. Domestic Charles was as much a turn on as, well, pretty much any version of him. He had pulled her into a quick kiss before surrendering her to the girls until dinner was ready.

He had stood at the base of the stairs, watching the three of them and grinning. Dejavu, he had thought, remembering the first time Liza had babysat for him. He was pretty sure that that night had been when he first realized that he had feelings for her. Though, he had to admit to himself, he was pretty sure that it had been love at first sight.

Liza had thoroughly enjoyed dinner with the girls and Charles, listening to Bianca's anecdotes and Nicole's silly stories about her Dad. Charles had made his apparently infamous cacio a pepe, a favorite of the kids. He hadn't cooked much for Liza yet, and she thought he might be holding out on her. Though no one did pasta like Maggie. She had volunteered to help Charles clean up, but he refused, insisting that she spend some more time with the girls. That was a first – neither Josh or David had ever volunteered to wash a pan or dry a plate for her. So, she had retired to the den with the girls and settled in to watch Tangled. Charles had joined them about 20 minutes in, and the foursome had curled up together on the sectional couch. Bianca and Nicole had snuggled in between them, and Liza had eaten up every minute of it. Her mind had wandered during the movie, imagining a thousand nights like this, and she got butterflies in her stomach. She had never imagined a future with anyone as vividly as she did with Charles. She kept watching him out of the corner of her eye during the movie, and every once in a while, he would catch her up and smile at her with nothing but love in his eyes. Little did she know; he was also picturing a thousand nights like this in the future. Him and his girls. Doing nothing and everything and being happier than he ever though possible.

They had carried the girls up to bed, tucking them in and kissing them goodnight, before finally retiring to Charles's bedroom, where he had laid Liza down and covered her body with his, making slow, tender love to her late into the night before wrapping his arms around her and falling asleep with her in his arms, her favorite place to be.

Wednesday and Thursday Charles had gone to bed and woken up at the loft with Liza, though he was now insistent on buying her a new mattress. They had been treated to one of Maggie's delicious dinners on Wednesday, the three talking late into the night and emptying more than a few bottles of wine. Liza was delighted to see how well Charles was getting on with Maggie. The two couldn't be more different, but Charles held his own against the bold and cheeky Maggie. She had invited them to join her at an art show on Thursday night. Walking arm in arm with her best friend and her boyfriend down the streets of New York had been a very happy moment for Liza.

"Mom! Anyone in there?" Liza felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. Turning, she saw Caitlin smiling down at her.

"Caitlin! I didn't even hear you come in!" She stood, walking around the edge of the couch and pulling her daughter into a bear hug.

"Oh my god, Mom, stop."

"Absolutely not. I've missed you!" She put her hands on Caitlin's shoulders, examining her daughter. She had gotten tanner in the two weeks it had been since she had seen her, and she had colored her hair, so it was an even lighter shade of blonde.

"It's barely been two weeks, Mom. Are you ready to go? Is this okay to wear?" Caitlin gestured down at her off the shoulder top and jeans. "I didn't know if I needed to dress up."

"That's totally fine, kiddo. This isn't a fancy dinner party or anything. We just wanted you to meet Bianca and Nicole. They want to meet you too."

"How old are they again?"

"Bianca is 7 and Nicole is 9. They're going to be in your art program that starts in a couple of weeks." Liza shrugged a jacket on over her summer dress and turned off the lights, locking the door behind her. Maggie was out for the night, having drinks with a few of her artist friends. Charles had called a car for them, and it was idling just down the street from the apartment. Mom and daughter spent the 20-minute drive catching up on life over the past few weeks. Liza watched in fascination as her daughter filled her in on her summer work. She was thrilled that Caitlin had finally found something that she was passionate about, and it tugged at her heartstrings to see how quickly Caitlin was growing up. Caitlin asked her a few questions about Bianca and Nicole and Liza filled her in on the situation with Pauline, omitting some of the more dramatic details. Before they knew it, the car pulled to a stop in front of the brownstone. Caitlin let out a low whistle as she climbed out of the car, staring up at the towering brownstone in front of her.

"Charles lives here?" She asked, dumbfounded. Rose had told her that he was well off, but this was on an entirely different level than what she had imagined.

"Yep. It's been in his family for two generations," she added, before Caitlin could make some deprecating comment about wealth disparity.

"I don't think we're in Jersey anymore." Caitlin muttered as they climbed up the steps, and Liza laughed as she rang the doorbell. No, they certainly weren't in Jersey anymore, and thank god for that.

The door swung open and Charles stood on the other side. He leaned against the door, grinning at Liza. "You know, I gave you that key so that you wouldn't have to ring the doorbell. Hi, Caitlin." He stepped aside to let them in, leaning in to kiss Liza on the cheek and hug Caitlin.

"Your house is ahh-mazing." Caitlin stood in the entryway, staring around at the grandeur that surrounded her. Charles smiled sheepishly, putting one arm around Liza and leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, Caitlin."

Caitlin turned and smiled at the sight of her mom leaning into Charles, smiling up at him. She loved her Dad but seeing Liza this happy filled her with joy. She couldn't remember a time when her Mom had smiled this much.

"Liiiiiizzzzzzzaaaaa!" Bianca and Nicole came thundering down the stairs, rushing past Caitlin to throw their arms around Liza. She bent down, wrapping her arms around them.

"Oh, I missed you two this week!"

"Look, Liza! I got my cast off yesterday. My arm is free!" She waved her wrist in front of Liza's face.

"Oh, that's so cool!"

"Now I just have to worry about her breaking it again." Charles rubbed the top of Nicole's head, smiling down at her.

Liza stood, gesturing for Caitlin to come over. "Girls, there's someone here I'd like you to meet. This is Caitlin, my daughter."

"Do you play Polly pockets?" Bianca asked, staring up at Caitlin, who knelt down in front of the girls.

"Do I? Of course, I do! In fact," she added, smiling slyly and reaching into the pocket of her jean jacket. "I've got some with me right now." She looked up at her Mom and grinned as she pulled out two heart shaped boxes that Liza recognized as Polly pockets that she had gotten Caitlin years ago for her birthday.

"Ooh, can we play?" They each tugged on Caitlin's arms, starting to argue over which girl's playroom they should go to. Liza grinned from ear to ear as she watched the girls pull Caitlin up the stairs.

"Dinner in 20 minutes!" Charles called out to them.

"I think I've been replaced." Liza turned to look at Charles as he slid his arms around her waist. He chuckled in response, leaning down to graze his lips lightly against hers.

"I'd feel bad, but that just means I get you all to myself for a few minutes." He whispered, his lips centimeters from hers, before covering her mouth with his again. Liza totally lost herself in the moment, and if his arms hadn't been wrapped around her waist, her legs may have given out. She put a hand on his chest, pushing him back.

"You're getting distracted. Don't want dinner to burn, do you?"

"We can order takeout." He whispered, lowering his head to kiss her neck, one hand sliding under the back of her shirt.

"Down, boy. Come on. I'll help." She reached down and grabbed his hand, slipping her smaller one into his. She was always amazed at how a perfect a fit they seemed to be, in every aspect of their lives.

Dinner couldn't have been more perfect. Caitlin quickly developed a close bond with the girls, similar to Liza, and by the time Charles called them down for dinner the two were clinging to Caitlin like she was their new best friend. She sat between them at dinner, Liza and Charles sitting across from them and talked to them about their hobbies, favorite things, and school. Liza marveled at how quickly Caitlin had bonded with the two, thinking to herself that she would make a wonderful teacher one day. Charles asked Caitlin about her summer internship and what kinds of classes she had signed up for fall semester. When she mentioned that she would be required to complete some classroom hours in the spring, Charles volunteered to put her in contact with someone at The Chapin School, the academy that the girls currently attended. Liza could see that this had scored major points with Caitlin and had reached under the table and squeezed Charles leg when she saw her daughter's eyes light up.

All three girls had helped cleaned up after dinner before retiring to the den to pick out a movie. Charles and Liza took advantage of the momentary privacy as they made a giant bowl of popcorn, Liza perching on the edge of the counter, her legs wrapped around Charles's waist, pulling him close to her as their hands and mouths explored each other. Liza wondered if their desire to be with each other would continue to remain this passionate and prayed to god that it would. Ironically, she felt like she was in her 20s again, and was pretty sure that Charles felt the same way.

The girls were half an hour into Beauty and the Beast when Charles and Liza joined them in the den. Liza knew it was Caitlin's favorite movie and smiled at the sight of her dancing around the room with the girls, singing "Be Our Guest". Liza joined in as Charles sat down, pulling out his phone to record the moment. When the song was over, the girls collapsed around him, and Caitlin came around the back of the couch, pulling out her phone and requesting a selfie. The group leaned in close to each other and Charles took her phone, reaching his long arm out and snapping several pictures. They resumed the movie, Bianca and Nicole devouring the bowl of popcorn in front of them. Charles had made it the way the two loved it, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It was delicious, and Liza couldn't help reaching her hand into the bowl, repeatedly. She caught Caitlin tapping away at her phone and was about to chastise her when she saw her posting one of the pictures they had just taken on Instagram. Liza pulled her phone out and refreshed her Instagram feed, the picture popping up at the top. Liza read the caption and her heart swelled with affection for her daughter. _ "Friday night with some of my new favorite people 3 3 and Momma Miller, of course #mixedfamily #fridaynightfeelings #littlesisterlove" _ She nudged Charles and tilted her phone, showing him the photo. A giant grin spread across his face and his eyes lit up. He pulled his arm tighter around her, planting a kiss on the side of her head. "I love this. All of us together." He whispered into her ear. And he did.

"Sounds like you had a perfect night." Maggie sat at the kitchen counter Saturday morning, nibbling on one of the blueberry muffins that Liza had just pulled out of the oven. When that girl was wired she got more done before 9 AM than Maggie accomplished all day. And boy, was Liza wired today. She had filled Maggie in on the events of the evening before as she made a batch of cookies for the 4th of July picnic, a big, goofy grin spreading across her face as the story progressed. Maggie couldn't help but smile back, despite the earliness of the day. Liza's happiness was infectious. Caitlin had stumbled out of Liza's bedroom at some point, making her way towards the bathroom.

"We did, Maggie. It was so great to see the three girls together. I can see a future here, you know? It makes me excited. With Josh, I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. The relationship had an expiration date from the moment it started. With Charles I can't help but envision the future."

"Girl, I'm happy for you. You're finally getting everything you ever wanted." Liza detected a note of sadness in Maggie's voice and she tilted her head quizzically at her best friend.

"You okay?"

Maggie sighed, taking a sip of the coffee in front of her. "Malkie and I broke up last night."

"What? Why? What happened?"

"We were having drinks with a few of my friends last night, and got on the subject of kids, and she just dropped a bomb on me that she wanted kids. A lot of them. Listen, I love kids, but I'm not meant to be a mom. I'm okay with that. I'm a kick ass aunt."

"You are indeed. I'm sorry, Mags."

"It is what it is. We had a fight after we left. She told me I have issues. Do you think I have issues?"

"Everyone has issues. Everyone has baggage, Mags. If she can't accept you for who you are, then she doesn't deserve you. You just have to have faith. That person is out there for you. Hey, it took me almost 41 years to find that person for me."

"That's very uplifting."

"I try my best. Will you come to the picnic with Caitlin and I?"

"I think I'll pass on the picnic. But tonight is still a go." Maggie had an Independence Day tradition of inviting her friends over to watch the fireworks from the rooftop of her building, which offered a fantastic view of the festivities.

Liza nodded, scooping cookies off of the cooling rack into a Tupperware container. "Alright, but if you change your mind, just text me. You're more than welcome to come. Charles and the girls are going to come over after the picnic, so we'll have a full house."

A few hours later the Brooks annual Central Park picnic was in full swing. The park was insanely busy, and Charles had commandeered a large patch of grass near a grill and several picnic tables. He had kept the invite list small this year, inviting only Bob and Julia, Anna and her husband Markus, and Jay, along with their respective families. Liza had also invited Kelsey and Lauren, but they were enroute, according to the text that Liza had gotten a few minutes ago. There was a chance that Pauline would be making an appearance, according to Charles. She had texted him early in the morning, asking if she could stop to see the girls, even if only for a few moments. He had agreed, his only stipulation being a promise for civility. Bob and Julia had arrived with Rose, and she and Caitlin had immediately been latched onto by Bianca, Nicole and Anna's daughters, Amelia and Teresa. Liza watched from her picnic blanket as the 4 girls danced around with Rose and Caitlin, who were teaching them how to use those gigantic bubble wants. Markus was throwing a football with his son, Anna was sitting at one of the picnic tables, chatting with Julia, and Bob and Charles were messing around with the grill.

Liza adjusted herself on her blanket. She was sitting cross legged, reading her dogeared copy of A Moveable Feast. It was another perfect day, surrounded by some of her closest friends and the man she loved. Speaking of, she sensed his presence and turned her head slightly to see him come up behind her and sit down, so that her back was pressed up against his chest and his legs were on either side of her.

"Hey you." He lifted her hair to one side of her neck and leaned down to kiss her lightly at the nape of her neck.

"Hey" she murmured, leaning into him as he wrapped one arm around her. "Do you think it's safe to leave Bob with the grill?"

He chuckled, his breath hot on her skin. "I guess we'll find out."

"This is pretty perfect, don't you think?" The pair sat quietly for a moment, taking in the scene around them.

"I couldn't imagine a more perfect day, Liza. Or a more perfect life. I think we're building something great here, don't you think?"

"Without a doubt, baby. I love this. I love us." She tilted her head slightly to meet his lips with hers, kissing him tenderly.

"Well, don't you two look adorable!" The moment was interrupted as Kelsey and Lauren approached, complete with beach chairs and floppy hats.

"Hey, Kels. Lauren, you remember Charles?" Liza and Kelsey laughed and rolled their eyes as Lauren looked him up and down slowly before saying "How could I forget?" in a tone to make Charles blush.

Several yards away, Pauline made her way towards the group, feeling very much like an outsider. This was a tradition that she and Charles had started, and now here she was, the quintessential outsider. She caught sight of Charles sitting on blanket, his arms wrapped tightly around Liza as they spoke to Kelsey and another girl. They looked so natural, her leaning up against him and his hand resting on her bare leg, and the sight made Pauline's stomach lurch. Maybe this was a mistake, she thought, but Julia had caught sight of her and was waving her over.

"Pauline! It's so good to see you." The greeting didn't sound entirely sincere, and Pauline forced a tight smile onto her face. Julia had been one of her closest friends before she left, but they had barely spoken upon her return. Anna smiled at her but didn't say anything. Charles had filled her in on the incident last weekend, and Anna's civility towards Pauline was practically nonexistent.

"You too! Hi Anna." She pulled her eyes away from Charles and Liza, who were now alone and talking to each other, smiling and laughing. "Any idea where my kiddos are?" She scanned the lawn and saw them running around with Anna's daughters and two older girls.

"Oh my god, is that Rose, Julia? She's all grown up."

"Oh god, don't remind me. Starting her sophomore year at Vassar in the fall."

"That's amazing! Who is that girl with her?"

It was Anna's turn to pipe up. "That's Caitlin. Liza's daughter. The girls just adore her. Isn't she Rose's roommate at Vassar?"

"Yes, she is." Julia answered, saying something else to Anna. Pauline tuned her out, watching the girls from a distance. Watching as Bianca ran to this Caitlin girl, who opened her arms to Bianca and said something to her that made Bianca burst out into giggles. The two jogged over to where Charles sat with Liza. Pauline wanted to burst out in tears as Bianca snuggled onto Liza's lap and Caitlin collapsed onto the blanket next to Charles, saying something to him and gently bumping his shoulder, the two laughing. Clearly, they all were familiar and comfortable with each other.

Caitlin saw Nicole run past as she propped herself up on her elbows and turned to see her hugging a pretty blonde woman. Must be the mom, she thought, nudging Liza and tilting her head in Nicole's direction.

"Oh, Charles, Pauline's here." Caitlin could see her Mom become anxious, sitting up and pulling away from Charles. She stood as Bianca got up and ran over to her mother, reaching out a hand to help Charles up off the ground. Caitlin followed them over to the table, smiling slightly when she saw Charles reach down and grab Liza's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She really liked this guy for her Mom.

"Pauline. Hello." Charles stopped a few feet away from her, nodding politely. He reached around and put his hand on Caitlin's back, pulling her into the circle. "This is Caitlin, Liza's daughter." Caitlin reached out a hand, but Pauline just gave her a tight smile and turned her attention back to Charles, her eyes flickering over to Liza, then back to him.

"I just wanted to stop and say hi, real quick. Do you mind if the girls and I take a quick little walk? I want to say goodbye to them before I leave for my tour on Monday."

"Of course." He watched as she turned, an arm wrapped around each girl, and guided them to the nearby walking path. Turning, he whispered something into Liza's ear and she nodded.

"We're going to take a little walk as well. Be back in a few minutes."

"What's going in that head of yours?" Liza asked a few minutes later, as she and Charles wandered down a secluded pathway, hand in hand. She could sense that he was thinking about something that was making his anxious. She could feel his body was tensed, and wished she could do something to make him relax.

"I'm just thinking about the divorce. I'm worried about the girls. How it will affect them." He swallowed tightly, and she could see the worry on his face. "I don't want them to feel like we love them any less."

"I don't think they could ever think that, Charles. Those babies love you so much. They are so blessed to have you as a father." She paused, stopping on the path and turning, resting her hands on Charles's shoulders. "You know, divorce isn't this huge tragedy that society makes it out to be. A tragedy is staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your kids the wrong things about love. Kids need parents that love them, they need to know that they are safe. You give them that. They need stability, and sometimes it's easier to achieve that outside a marriage than in a broken one. Your girls will do better now that their mom is back in their life, even if she isn't your wife anymore, Charles. Caitlin struggled a lot through the last few years that David and I were together when we really shouldn't have been. But when we separated, that changed for her. It's the level of conflict that hurts a kid, not the divorce itself. Just be there for them, and they'll be fine." She reached her hands up to brace either side of his face, trying to convey to him how much she meant every word that she had said.

Charles looked back at her, his eyes searching hers. How was it that she always managed to know exactly what to say to make him feel better, to ease his worries? It was like she could read his mind and know exactly what he was feeling and thinking before he even said a word? He leaned down and kissed her before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you." He whispered into her ear, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

They stood there for a moment, pulling apart when they heard footsteps on the path. Pauline came around the corner with the girls, stopping short a few feet from them. Nicole grinned as she saw her Dad and Liza hugging.

"Liza, do you mind walking the girls back to the picnic? I need to talk to Charles for a moment." Liza nodded, pulling away from Charles and extending her hands to Bianca and Nicole, who grabbed them happily. Pauline turned and stepped off the grass, heading in the direction of the street, and gesturing for Charles to walk with her.

"So, I, I'm not going to fight you on custody, Charles. I think the girls should live with you."

"You do?" He couldn't help the incredulity in his voice. This was unexpected.

"Yes. I don't want them to be jerked all over the place. The brownstone is the only home that they have known, and it should stay that way. Just because things didn't turn out the way I wanted them to doesn't mean that the girls should suffer because of it."

"That's, well that's incredibly magnanimous of you, Pauline."

"I just want the girls to be happy. We'll figure out the rest of the details when I get back, but I wanted to share that with you."

"I appreciate that. More than you know." They had reached the street now, and they paused on the sidewalk.

"You really love her, don't you? Liza?" Pauline shifted to one side, squinting up the man she used to know so well. He seemed different. More relaxed than he had ever been before.

"Yes, I do. Very much."

"You never looked at me the way you look at her." It wasn't a question, but a statement, as she stared up at him.

"I loved you, Pauline. Maybe not the way I love Liza, but I loved you. I still do. I love the life that we built together, the children we produced. I wouldn't take that back for anything. But it's time for both of us to start a new chapter in our lives. I hope you can see that. I hope you're happy, Pauline, I really do. Because I am."

She nodded, swallowing hard and fighting back tears. "I'm glad. Happy Independence Day, Charles." And with that, she turned, walking away and leaving them both with a sense of finality.

"This is where you live, Liza! It's so cool!" Nicole ran around the loft later that evening, looking at all of Maggie's art and sculptures. Caitlin and Charles deposited the last of the bags and the one cooler still stocked with snacks and drinks. The girls had asked to have a sleepover at the loft that night with Caitlin, and had come prepared to turn the living room into sleepover city.

"Thanks, kiddo! But we're actually going to go up to the roof to watch the fireworks. Follow me!" The girls filed out after Liza, holding onto Caitlin as they climbed up the stairs to the roof. Charles closed the loft door behind them, following them up the stairs. Liza could hear music playing as she climbed up the last few steps, pushing open the heavy metal door to the roof.

"Whoa." Bianca came up behind her, eyes wide. It really was a sight to behold. Twinkle lights were strung up everywhere, casting a golden glow over the rooftop. Maggie had set up chairs and blankets everywhere, some of which were already occupied. Someone had procured a small firepit, which was crackling away, a stack of smores fixings nearby. A few coolers were propped open, filled with drinks. Lauren and Kelsey were already there, drinks in hand, as were a few other tenants and a few artist friends of Maggie's.

Nicole and Bianca zeroed in on the smores fixings, both turning their heads to look up at Charles with puppy dog eyes. Liza couldn't help but laugh.

"One each." He said, as sternly as he could. "For now." He shook his head and chuckled as they grabbed Caitlin and tugged her over.

"They're going to be the death of me.." He leaned in and kissed Liza on the forehead. "Want anything to drink, my dear?"

"Just a bottle of water for now. I'm going to check in with Maggie." He nodded and crossed over to a cooler as she walked over to Maggie, who stood with a drink in her hand, leaning against the wall looking out at the city lights.

"How you doing?"

"Oh, I'm good." She turned and smiled at Liza, and she could tell that Maggie was a little bit stoned.

Rolling her eyes, Liza reached over and took a swig of Maggie's drink. "I'm glad."

"Not to rain on your day, but there's a little crisis that requires your assistance." Maggie turned, nodding her head towards the corner of the roof, where Josh stood, nursing a beer, his expression cross.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He and Clare broke up last night. She's moving to California for her job." So, she had made a decision, Liza thought.

"Oh dear. I'll go talk to him. Can you go keep Charles occupied for a few minutes?"

"Of course. I need to meet these infamous kiddos anyways."

"Thanks, Mags." She approached Josh slowly, stopping to lean on the brick pony wall that surrounded the roof.

"Hey. Maggie just told me. I'm so sorry, Josh. Are you okay?"

He took a swig of his beer, not immediately answering her question. "She's just leaving. It wasn't even a discussion. Just told me that she's packing up next week and moving. This sucks, Liza." He leaned over slightly, bumping into her shoulder, and she reached up to put a steadying arm around him.

"You'll be okay, Josh. You never know, she might come back."

"It's so stupid. I mean, I just keep putting myself out there for people, and I keep getting kicked in the face." He leaned his head onto her shoulder as she pulled him into a hug.

"It'll be okay. Everything is going to be okay." She whispered, reassuringly. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her as his last sentence echoed in her head. When this boy fell, she thought, he fell hard.

She left Josh a few minutes later with a consoling Lauren, returning to where Charles sat watching her from a distance.

"Everything okay over there?" He asked, arching an eyebrow and handing her a bottled water. Liza sat next to him, reaching over to kiss him on the cheek.

"It will be. He and Clare broke up last night. She's moving to California for work. He's just upset now."

"Looks like he's in good hands now. Which is good, because you're in mine for the rest of the night." He whispered huskily, throwing a blanket over their laps, his hand creeping over to rest on her thigh.

"There's no place else I would rather be." She leaned her head against his shoulder as the first fireworks appeared in the sky and people yelled out, pointing. She slid her hand under the blanket, finding his and intertwining their fingers together.

"She's the gunpowder in a firework that lights up the sky, with a personality that holds a rainbow of colors for those brave enough to play with her fire." He said the words quietly, so only that Liza could hear. She shivered as he spoke the poetry flawlessly, marveling at his literary mind. She'd never met a man who could recite poetry off the top of his head, or who could spout of literary quotes like Charles did. It lit a fire in her, setting off fireworks in her heart as they exploded over her head, ringing in a new chapter of her life. The best chapter of her life.


	26. Freedom

AN: Thank you again to all of my wonderful reviewers! Reading all your notes is definitely an inspiration to keep on writing. I've drafted an outline for the rest of my chapters, but please let me know if there is anything special you would like to see! The next couple of chapters will be all about the rest of the summer, which won't be without a few bumps in the road, but will start with Liza FINALLY getting divorced from David. And will end with a very M rated Charlize scene 😉

"Liza! Coffee!" It was Monday morning, and Liza was back in the office. Diana's voice acted like an electric shock to her system, jolting her up out of her chair and across the room to the coffee station. She smiled sheepishly as she caught sight of Kelsey making herself a cup of tea and smirking.

"You know, one of these days you're actually going to have to find someone to replace you as her assistant."

"Trust me, I've been trying. She's interviewed 3 and two of them ran out of the room crying." Liza pressed a coffee pod into the Keurig as the machine hissed and started to stream dark roast into a waiting coffee mug. "I think I may have to work for her forever."

Kelsey sipped her cup, grinning. "It's too bad you don't have an in with her boss. Oh, wait…." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Haha. You're hilarious." Rolling her eyes in return, she elbowed Kelsey playfully before picking up the steaming cup of coffee and carrying it in to Diana, setting it on the desk next to her.

"Have you sent out all of the evites for my game night on Friday?" Diana asked, not bothering to drag her eyes away from whatever she was reading on the screen.

"Sent them out Friday afternoon. Also, I wanted to let you know that I need to leave early today. I have a meeting this afternoon."

"Job interview?" Diana asked sarcastically, smiling slightly.

"No! Of course not!" Liza exclaimed, before realizing that Diana was joking. "I have a meeting with my divorce lawyer and my husband to finalize our divorce."

Diana leaned back in her chair and took a sip of coffee. "I didn't realize that you were still married? Living in sin, aren't we?"

"I was supposed to go and sign them the day I, erm, had my accident." Liza answered, referencing the bicycle accident that she had been in because of Diana, wiping the smile off of Diana's face.

"Ahh, well I guess I have to give you the time off, then, don't I? Have Becky cover the phones for you."

"Thank you, Diana." She paused in the doorway, turning to look back into the office. "And thank you for everything. I couldn't have gotten through the last few weeks without you. I'd probably still be miserable and avoiding Charles if it weren't for you." Diana was touched and smiled and nodded as Liza returned to her seat.

A few hours later Liza gathered her things, stopping by Charles's office on her way out. She leaned into the doorway, watching him reading intently over something on his computer, chewing on a pen.

"Hey." She said softly, trying not to startle him. He looked up and smiled brightly at her, standing to walk around the edge of his desk.

"Hi. You headed out? Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" She loved that he was willing to drive her out to New Jersey to sit in a car for an hour while she met with David and the mediator.

"It's okay. I need to do this on my own. I wanted to leave early and avoid rush hour traffic, anyways. I'll come over when I'm done." She leaned up to kiss him, instantaneously melting into him as his hand slid around her waist. He was wearing a gorgeous gray suit and black tie and smelled like coffee, and Liza could have stood there kissing him for hours. She sighed, pulling back and pecking him on the cheek.

"I'll come over after I'm done. I'm not sure when I'll be back, so don't hold dinner for me."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too." The words came easy to both of them now, rolling off the tip of the tongue at the end of every phone call and kiss goodbye.

When Liza walked into the mediator's office an hour and half later, she found David already sitting at the conference table. He bounced up out of his chair, the same stupid grin on his face that he wore ever since she made the mistake of sleeping with him last year. Sighing, Liza slid her purse off of her shoulder and sat down, tossing her hair over her shoulder as the mediator came over with a sheath of paperwork in hand.

"Good Afternoon, how's everyone doing today?" He said jovially, rolling up his sleeves and sitting down.

"Excellent." Liza said quickly, cutting off David as she saw him open his mouth to speak. "Do you know how long this will take? I'd like to get back to the city before rush hour."

"Not too long. I just need the two of you to verify everything in the paperwork is still accurate. You haven't planned on changing any of the details regarding splitting up the assets?"

"No. Everything is the same."

"Well, I mean, shouldn't we talk about what happened, Liza?" David spoke up, leaning over the table towards her, reaching out to try to grab her hand. "We slept together." He added, speaking to the mediator. Liza pulled her hand away, picking up the pen in front of her.

"It didn't mean anything, David. We were drunk. And it was over six months ago."

"I think that, if you wish to speak about this, you do it outside of this office. I'm not a therapist, David. I'm here to facilitate the divorce." Liza felt a rush of gratitude towards the mediator and smiled kindly at him as he handed them each a packet of paperwork. "I've indicated where your signatures are needed. Read through them, sign, and I'll notarize and file them." A silence fell over the office for the next few minutes as Liza and David scanned the paperwork. He kept tapping the table with his pen and jiggling his foot. Liza wanted to kick him but resisted the urge. Everything looked good, and she flipped to the signature pages, signing and dating where indicated. She watched as David sighed, signing his name and reluctantly exchanging copies with Liza.

"That'll do. Thanks for coming in. I'll file these this afternoon if I can get to the courthouse in time, and you'll get a copy in the mail within a week." He reached out and shook their hands before heading back into his private office. Liza smiled tightly at David and turned to walk out, grimacing as she heard him jog down the hallway to catch up with her.

"End of an era, huh?" He said, nudging her in the shoulder.

"It ended a long time ago, David. About when you started schtupping that blackjack dealer. And your secretary." Liza pushed open the door onto the sidewalk, stopping to turn and look at David.

"I'm sorry, Liza. Haven't I said that enough?"

"You have, David. I'm just over it. I'll see you around." She turned to walk away, and he followed her.

"Caitlin tells me you broke up with Josh."

"Yes, I did."

"And that you're seeing someone else."

"I am." She pulled her keys out as she neared the 2-hour parking lot where she had parked her car, jangling them a little impatiently.

"She said that he's a nice guy. She's met him, then?"

"Yes, she has. Her roommate is the daughter of one of his best friends. She's had dinner with him a few times, and we spent the holiday weekend with him and his daughters."

"Oh. So, he's, uh, our age, is he?"

"Yes, he is." She squared her shoulders, turning to look at David. "Do you really want to know about him?"

"Yeah, I do. If he's spending time with our daughter, I think I deserve to."

"Fine. His name is Charles. Charles Brooks. He's 45 years old, separated from his wife, has two daughters that are 7 and 9. He runs a publishing company. You can Google him if you want to know more, even though it's really none of your business, David." She added the last bit a little sarcastically, "He's a great guy, David. I'm happy and I am in love with him. Very much. Goodbye." She crossed the parking lot, not looking back as she got in her car and put the key in the ignition. Liza laid her head back against the headrest, letting out a heavy sigh. Freedom, finally. She smiled, turned up the radio, and pulled out into traffic, free of that last bit of weight on her shoulders. Finally free.

She pulled up outside the brownstone just after 7 P.M., after what felt like hours later after crawling through rush hour traffic. She rarely ever drove anymore and forgot how much she hated the commute from Jersey into the city. As she unbuckled her seatbelt, her phone dinged with a new email. It was from the mediator.

_Docs filed at 4:45 P.M. It's official. Congratulations, Ms. Miller – you are officially divorced. _ He had attached a scan of the cover page with the date and time stamp. She couldn't help but grin. Taking a screenshot, she sent a text to Maggie. _It's official. I'm freeeeee!_

Her phone vibrated a second later. _Congratulations! Are we celebrating tonight?_

_Tomorrow night? Just you and me. My celebratory plans tonight involve some expensive scotch and a very handsome CEO that I'm kind of crazy about _

_Tomorrow sounds great. Have lots of dirty sexy fun. :p _

A stupid grin filled Liza's face as she read Maggie's text. That was indeed the plan, she thought, as she climbed out of the car, locking it and tossing her keys in her purse. She climbed the steps, opening the door without knocking for the first time. It felt weird, but good. Setting her purse down, she listened to see if she could hear anything. It sounded like the girls were upstairs in one of the playrooms. She peered into the rooms on the first floor, but Charles was nowhere to be found. Climbing the stairs, she made her way to the second floor. She peered into Nicole's playroom, where the girls were playing Chutes and Ladders on the floor.

"Hi girls" She leaned into the doorway. "Do you know where your Daddy is?"

"Hi Liza!" Bianca got up and ran over to hug her while Nicole pondered her next move. "He said he was going to exercise." Bianca pointed upwards to the third floor. Charles had converted one of the empty rooms on the barely used third floor into a gym.

"Thanks sweetie." She leaned down and kissed Bianca's head before she returned to her game. She climbed up the steps to the third floor. The steps alone were cardio enough for her. She slipped off her heels and padded down the wood floor to the converted gym, quietly pushing the door open slightly. Charles had his back to her, and had music playing on his phone a few feet away, so he didn't hear the door. Liza watched as he adjusted his grip on the metal pull up bars before lifting himself up over them and back down. He was wearing basketball shorts and sneakers but was shirtless. Liza couldn't help but lick her lips as she watched his muscles bulge and the sweat drip down his back. She didn't know many men his age that kept themselves in as good as shape as he did, and his efforts showed. Stepping into the room, she let out a wolf whistle, startling him.

Charles dropped off of the bars and turned, smiling as he saw Liza walk into the room.

"Hey, baby."

"Don't stop on my account." Liza licked her lips again and smiled as her eyes traveled up and down his body. Charles grinned back and instead of grabbing the towel to dry himself off, he pulled her to him and kissed her. Liza could feel the heat radiating off of him, and her hands traveled up his chest and into his damp hair.

"So," he whispered in a low voice, "Are you officially all mine?" Liza nodded, sliding her phone out of her pocket and showing him the email.

"All yours." She leaned up and kissed him again, a little feverishly. She felt his hands slide down her sides and grip her hips, pulling her flush against him as he deepened the kiss. She could have stayed like that forever, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble thunderously, indicating that she was hungry for something besides Charles. They both laughed, and Charles reluctantly pulled his mouth away from hers.

"There's a plate of food in the warmer in the kitchen. Why don't you go eat and I'll go take a shower? And hopefully my children are exhausted and want to go to bed early, because I want you all to myself tonight." He said the last part huskily as he bent down and kissed her neck just below her ear. He had come to realize that that spot was a sweet spot for her, and he loved seeing how she reacted when he kissed her there.

"I like that plan." Charles guided her out of the room and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked down the hallway and back downstairs. He kissed her again outside the door to the bathroom, chuckling as her stomach growled again.

A half an hour later, freshly showered, Charles padded down the hallway to Nicole's playroom, following the sounds of giggles. Pushing the door open, he saw a scene that made his heart swell: Liza sat on a plush bean bag chair, Bianca sitting on her lap, half asleep. Nicole was curled up next to her, and Liza had one arm around her, absentmindedly running her hand through Nicole's hair as she read from a book in her other hand. She didn't notice him push the door open, and so he stood for a moment in the doorway, watching her. She was still in her work clothes but had lost her shoes at some point, and her legs were crossed to keep Bianca from sliding off her lap. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he thought that he could easily spend the rest of his life marveling at her beauty, her kindness, her intelligence.

He crept into the room as she finished the last page of the story and put the book down, catching her eye as he crouched down next to her.

"Looks like someone got hit with the sleepy stick." He rubbed his hand over Nicole's back as she started to doze off, nuzzling her head into the crook of Liza's arm.

"Oh, I gave them each a Benadryl in their chocolate milk." Liza smiled, her eyes twinkling with humor. "It always worked for Caitlin."

"Ahh, that's the trick, is it? C'mon, let's get these two to bed." He lifted Nicole up out of the chair as Liza slid her arms around Bianca.

"You know, it's a lot easier to carry them when they're 3." Liza adjusted Bianca in her arms as they walked down the hall.

"No kidding. Hmmmph." Charles groaned quietly as he maneuvered Nicole so that he could pull back her comforter and tuck her in. Both girls had changed into their pajamas before they had settled in for storytime with Liza. She lowered Bianca into her bed, turning off the lights so only the salt lamp in the corner was lit, casting a pinkish glow across the room. Charles kissed both girls on their foreheads, pausing at the doorway to reach over and turn on the sound machine on the dresser by the door. "Just in case." He whispered to Liza, his eyes darkening with desire as he closed the door behind them.

Liza started to walk down the hall to the bedroom, but Charles paused. "Shit, I've got to lock up downstairs and turn off the lights. I'll be right back. Liza nodded and couldn't help but giggle when he stumbled over his feet on the steps in his rush to get downstairs. Shaking her head, she turned and walked down the hall to Charles's bedroom.

2 minutes later Charles pushed open the door to the bedroom, but it was dark spare for a bedside lamp, dimmed low and casting shadows across the room.

"Liza?" He called out quietly, stepping into the room, closing and locking the door behind him. The door to his en suite bathroom opened and Liza stepped out, knocking the wind out of him. She had shed her dress pants and top and stood in the doorway wearing nothing but a set of sexy white lace lingerie. Her hair spilled over her shoulders in loose waves, just the way he liked it, and it was his turn to lick his lips now.

In three strides he had crossed over to her, reaching up to brace his hands on either side of her face as he kissed her softly at first, his lips barely touching hers. He moved one hand from her face to her hair, letting it run through the silky strands, releasing a wave of that scent of vanilla and coconut that he had come to realize originated from her favorite shampoo. Liza reached one hand up to toy with the buttons on his shirt as her other hand slid around his waist and rested on his back. She moaned quietly as he deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue over her lips and gaining entry to her mouth. His hands began to slide over her body, coming once again to rest on the curve of her hips. He pulled her forcefully to him so that they were hip to hip as he slid one hand around her back and underneath the white fabric.

They stepped towards the bed, not breaking their embrace, and stumbled backwards, falling onto the bed together in a tangle of limbs. Liza giggled as she gently rolled onto her back, her eyes meeting his. For a moment, they only looked at one another, letting their mutual desire take hold. Liza raised her arm, tracing Charles jawline, and his hand joined hers, moving her fingers to his lips in a kiss as his other hand touched her face. Her hands moved to his partially exposed chest as he gently lowered himself down to kiss her, and she pushed the shirt away from his body, letting it fall to the floor. He drew away from her reluctantly, standing to remove the rest of his clothing. Liza's eyes followed his every movement and slide herself further up onto the bed.

Charles stood for a moment, his eyes taking in the woman before him. Her skin was tanned from the time spent outside this past weekend, making the two items of clothing she was still wearing appear to glow against her skin. Her head rested against the pillow; her chestnut locks spread out against the pillow like a fan. He moved onto the bed, drawing her full length to him and she moved against him, a small sigh of pleasure escaping her lips as his swept down upon hers, his hands moving slowly down the length of her, gently gliding over her satin skin. He deftly reached underneath her, unhooking her bra and sliding it down her arms and onto the floor before reaching down to remove the last article of clothing that stood between them.

His lips traveled from hers to her neck, to her collarbone, to her breasts, and he felt his body stir as she gasped when he took one in his mouth. He pressed his body against her, letting her feel how ready he was for her. Her legs parted slightly, and she arched her hips up to him, and he adjusted himself so that he was hovering over her, one knee between hers. Another moan escaped her mouth, her body moving seductively underneath his. He moved into her slowly as her hands traced the heavy muscles of his back, arms and shoulders. Slowly he moved his hips against hers as she matched his pace, his body rising and falling against hers, rhythmically and slowly building a crescendo between the two. Liza felt herself go over the edge as they picked up the pace and dug her teeth into his shoulder as he pushed into her one more time before letting out a low moan and lowering himself to lay next to her. Liza clung to him, his arm sliding over her side and resting on her hip as they both basked in the aftermath of their union. She laid her head against his chest, listening to the rapid pounding of his heart against her ear. She felt so complete, so whole with Charles, and she knew in hear heart that this was where the search ended. She could love no other man.

Charles pulled the light sheets over their perspiring bodies and stroked her hair, cuddling her closer. He heard her sigh softly, felt her lips kiss his chest as her fingers moved down his body, teasing him. Her lips soon followed, moving down his chest and stomach, her long hair tickling his skin. Liza moved quickly, rising up to straddle him on the bed, the sheet falling back onto his legs. He moved his hands up to cup her face, bringing her face down to his, kissing her passionately. Simultaneously Liza rose her hips and lowered herself onto him, excruciatingly slowly, causing another low moan to escape his lips. She raised her hand to her mouth, shushing him, a slow, seductive smile crossing her face. His hands slid from her face to her hips as she slowly ground her hips against his, sighing and throwing her head back, eyes closed. Her hands roamed his chest and shoulders, nails gently scraping against his skin.

Gritting his teeth, Charles wrapped his hands around her waist and flipped her beneath him, setting a steady pace that would make this moment last. He felt her legs wrap around him tightly as she moaned underneath him. He captured her lips with his as he buried himself in her. She pulled her mouth away from his to moan out his name as she tightened around him, and he felt himself release with an intensity that left them both breathless. He kissed her and pulled her close, brushing her hair away from her face. Reaching down he pulled the sheets back up over them as she curled her body close to his, her eyes closing, a soft, satisfied smile on her lips. Charles smiled too, hugging her close and making a promise to himself that he would never, ever, let her go. She was what he needed in his life. She was the one.


	27. Promises

Liza climbed the stairs to the apartment the following evening, every muscle in her body aching from her extracurricular activities with Charles the night before. Being with him was always mind blowing, but she felt like last night had been different. It was almost as if they had connected on an even more intense level, if that was possible, one that left her feeling completely spent and satisfied. She hoped it marked the beginning of a new chapter in their life together.

She had been reluctant to spend tonight away from him, but she had promised Maggie that they would spend some time together. Liza had been feeling guilty about spending less time with her friends lately and resolved to try to balance out the time she was splitting between Caitlin, Charles and her friends a little better. She hadn't even known that Lauren had been dumped by Max until Kelsey mentioned it at lunch today. When she had shared her feeling of guilt with Charles, he had understood completely, insisting that she spend some time with her friends. He had told her that he was going to take the girls out for dinner, for a daddy/daughter date, and Liza smiled to herself as she pulled her keys from her purse outside the apartment. He had been genuinely excited to spend the night with his daughters and she found it absolutely adorable. Endearing, really. Charles Brooks was a rare breed.

"You're home!" Liza swung open the door to the apartment to be greeted by Kelsey, Lauren and Maggie curled up on the couch, a large pitcher of margaritas sitting on the coffee table in front of them.

"What are you guys doing here?! I didn't know you were coming over." She raised her eyebrows at Maggie as she shrugged off her jacket and shoes. Kelsey rolled her eyes and turned slightly to watch Liza as she walked to the kitchen to get a glass.

"Well, we haven't really spent any time together lately. You know, just us girls. So, we decided to take advantage of your plans with Maggie and crash."

"I'm not complaining. I just would have come home a little earlier. Lemme change, and I'll be right out. Pour me a margarita, will you, Mags?" Liza handed her an empty glass and slipped into her bedroom to change. She had just slipped out of her dress and was throwing on some yoga pants when she heard someone behind her. She turned to see Kelsey leaning against the door.

"Sorry about the ambush. Lauren's just taking this breakup harder than I thought. She needs her friends." Liza nodded, slipping on a t shirt.

"I know. I'm sorry that I haven't been around much lately." She sat down on the edge of the bed, slipping on a pair of socks. Kelsey sat down next to her, looking around the room and taking inventory of the Charles paraphernalia littered around the room.

"How are things going with you two?"

"Good. Really, really good. I'm so happy, Kelsey."

Kelsey watched as the goofy smile on Liza's face faltered a bit. "But….?"

"I just wonder if part of me is always going to doubt that I can be this happy. I feel like there's this part of me just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like I don't deserve the happiness, the love in my life right now. And not just with Charles. With all of you. Kelsey, you've been so forgiving and accepting of me. Everyone has. I feel like I don't deserve it, like the rug is going to be pulled out from underneath me at any moment." She shrugged her shoulders, slumping a little.

"Liza. You can't think like that. You are one of the strongest, kindest, most intelligent women I know, okay? Yes, you lied, but you did what you had to do for your kid. That's pretty fucking badass. You deserve to be happy. Whether that's being with Charles, or with Josh, or kicking ass at work. Whatever you want, you deserve to have it." She reached over and took Liza's hand in both of hers. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Liza. You've gotten me through so much. Inspired me to be a better person."

"You're pretty inspiring, too, Kels." Liza interrupted, squeezing Kelsey's hand. Kelsey rolled her eyes, leaning into Liza's shoulder affectionately.

"Are you two going to get your asses back out here or what?" Maggie shouted from the other room. Liza stood, stretching her long arms before reaching out to pull Kelsey up, swinging her arm around her other best friend.

_How's girl's night going? _

Liza's phone buzzed on her lap later that evening as she sat on the couch. Kelsey sat next to her, her head lolling on Liza's shoulder as she dozed. On her other side sat Maggie, who had Lauren's head laying in her lap. The empty pitcher of margaritas sat on the coffee table next to an almost empty bowl of popcorn while an episode of Grey's Anatomy played quietly on the tv. Smiling, she opened the camera on her phone and snapped a few pictures of the scene, sending them to Charles. The four girls had sat up for hours, catching each other up on their lives before digressing into a Netflix binge fest.

_It's been good. I'm glad we got to do this. How's yours? _A picture popped up on the screen a few seconds later. Liza smiled as she opened it, looking at the girls laying at the foot of Charles' bed, watching Frozen on the flat screen.

_I'm starting to get sick of this movie. It gets old after you've seen it 3500 times. _

_I'd feel bad, but I've already paid my dues with Caitlin. She was particularly fond of Toy Story. _

_I feel your pain. I should probably get them to bed. See you in the morning?_

_Definitely. Breakfast at our spot? 7:30?_

_Sounds like a plan, my love. We can walk to work together _

Liza clicked her phone off, smiling. Today had been a good day.

"You need to see this. Now. Like right now." Kelsey stepped into Diana's office, her iPad in her hand, closing the door. It was Friday afternoon, and Liza sat across from Diana, going over the details for this evenings game night party for what felt like the millionth time. Setting down the iPad, Kelsey tapped at the screen for a second and pulled up a YouTube video. Liza came around the other side of the desk, leaning in between Diana and Kelsey to look at the screen.

"It's Pauline's EW interview that she did this morning. It just was released online." She queued the video up, starting it a couple minutes in and stepping back.

"So, Pauline, we've talked about the book for a few minutes now. What a story. It's like fiction meets memoir."

"Thank you. Mostly fiction, though."

"So now let's talk about the real-life inspiration for Kate and Karl. How is your relationship with your husband?"

"Oh, um, my relationship with my husband. It's, it's not what I expected when I returned home, that's for sure."

"Do you care to elaborate?"

Diana groaned. "This can't be good."

"In all honestly, the relationship isn't doing so well. We're getting divorced." The interviewer leaned back; eyebrows raised.

"If you don't mind our asking, was this a mutual decision?" Liza saw a flash of annoyance cross Pauline's face, and had a sinking feeling about what was coming next.

"No, it wasn't. I was hoping to reconcile with him. We tried for a few weeks, but ultimately, he asked me for a divorce. I can't say I blame him, but it certainly took me by surprise."

"After all that time apart, I can't even imagine what that would have been like. But I'm sure you weren't the only one responsible for the marriage falling apart."

"The truth is, my marriage was over before I even left. And if I'm being completely honest, it was his career, and his ambition that ruined our marriage, not mine. When he and I got married, I thought we would be a team, but it was always about him. I was just there to be his rock, and I don't think he ever noticed how unhappy I was because he didn't want to."

"Wow."

"I don't think either of us could have done anything to fix it. This story, this novel, is a fantasy, based only slightly in reality. It's how I imagined it for the couple in the book because I like happy endings. I wanted my happy ending to be with my husband, but that's not an option for me anymore. But my story isn't over, and my happy ending is still out there."

"Well, we wish you all the best, Pauline. Thank you so much for coming in to speak with us today."

Kelsey reached out, closing the iPad and picking it back up. Hesitantly she turned to take a look at Liza. She had taken a step back and was leaning against the window behind Diana's desk.

"Has he seen that yet? Charles – has he seen it?"

Kelsey shook her head. "I don't think so. I emailed it to him, but he's in a meeting right now, so he probably hasn't checked his inbox yet."

Liza shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. "Okay, um, I'm gonna go. I need some air. Diana, I'll head over to your apartment and start getting things ready." Without waiting for an answer, she half-jogged out of the office, grabbing her purse and heading straight for the elevator. Diana let out a breath and leaned back in her chair, turning to face Kelsey.

"We can't let her go off the handle like that again. How many more interviews?"

"2 book signings this weekend, then 3 radio and 2 tv next week. She flies back here on Wednesday and is doing GMA and Today on Thursday."

"And Zane has taken over for Liza as her point of contact here?"

"He and I have both been working with her. We'll call the interviewers for next week, see if they can stick to the book and not question her about her personal life."

"Charles is going to be furious when he sees that interview. I'll try to catch him as soon as he gets out of his meeting."

"What about Liza?"

"What about her? Kelsey, Liza is a grown woman. She said she needs space, so respect that. She will be fine."

Kelsey turned to leave, shaking her head. "So much for a quiet week. I'm starting to think that this book was not worth all of this trouble."

"You and I both, Kelsey."

Charles walked back into his office after the two-hour meeting with accounting, wearisome, his head swimming with numbers and charts. Thank god it's Friday, he thought, anxious to leave and start his weekend. He wanted to spend some quality time with Liza and the girls. He glanced at his watch as he stepped through the doorway. He had to pick the girls up from a friend's house and meet the babysitter in about an hour.

Diana was sitting in his office, her legs crossed, a pensive look on her face. Now what? "Oh, Diana. I'm sorry. Did we have a meeting?" He crossed to his desk, grabbing his briefcase and started packing up his belongings.

"No. There's something that you need to see. Check your email. You should have one from Kelsey." He looked at her quizzically, but opened up his email, scanning down the list for Kelsey's name. He felt his stomach drop as he read the subject line, clicking on the link with a sense of dread. Diana sat across from him; her hands clasped in her lap as he played through the clip. He closed the laptop at the end and stood up, rubbing his hand over his eyes and pacing with his other hand on his hip.

"This is unbelievable. Why would she do this?"

"How were things between you two when she left last weekend?"

"I thought we were okay. She came to the 4th of July picnic and we had a good talk. She promised me she wasn't going to fight for custody of the girls. It was civil."

"Well, she obviously feels jilted. Like a woman scorned. Kelsey and Zane are working damage control, trying to minimize the amount of personal questions in the rest of her interviews."

"I should never have agreed to publish this book. It's caused nothing but problems. For me, for the company, for Liza." He paused, his face turning white. "Diana, has she seen that?" His heart dropped as Diana nodded.

"Kelsey showed it to us earlier."

"I need to talk to her. Is she still here?" His heart dropped even further as Diana shook her head.

"She left after she saw the interview. Said that she needed some space. She'll be at my apartment this evening, for my party."

"Shit. I've got to go, Diana. Thank you for showing me this. But I've got to find Liza. I'll see you tonight." He grabbed his phone and his briefcase, practically running out of the office. He had to find her, talk to her, make sure that she was okay. To make sure that Pauline hadn't scared her off for a second time.

"So, what do you think?" Maggie closed the tablet and slide it back across the kitchen island to Liza, who sat opposite her, chewing nervously on her thumbnail.

"I think," Maggie said slowly, "That her relationship with her husband is a lot different than your relationship with her husband. She's clearly bitter about not getting her way."

"But what if she's right, Maggie? What if we stay together and start to turn into this? Me, unhappy, him oblivious."

"Liza, sweetie, I don't think that Charles could ever be oblivious to your feeling. I have seen the way he looks at you. The man is head over heels for you. It's kind of nauseating, actually." She jokes, trying to get Liza to lighten up.

"But what if it happens anyways?"

"Then it happens. You can't live life scared of what could happen. That's not living."

"It's what happened with David." Her phone vibrated, and Charles's name popped up on the screen. She hit ignore.

"Charles is definitely not David. And thank god for that. Listen Liza, you need to talk to him. Tell him how you feel. Running isn't going to solve anything. Go see him tonight at this party and talk to him. You'll figure it out. Go." She pointed at the door, coming around the side of the island to walk Liza to the door.

Charles stepped out of the elevator outside of Diana's apartment, taking a deep breath. He hadn't been able to get ahold of Liza for the past few hours, despite calling her a few times. He had picked the girls up, running them home and changing and had debated showing up at her apartment. But Diana's words about Liza wanting space had echoed in his ears, and he had refrained.

"Charles!" He turned at the sound of his voice to see Jay stepping off of the elevator. Of course, he had been invited. The rumor mill that churned through the Empirical office was that Diana hosted these occasional game nights in a vain attempt to secure a new boyfriend. It looked like tonight would be no different.

"Jay. How's it going?"

"Oh, they're going. How are things with you? I hear you and Liza reconciled." Charles couldn't help but detect a note of jealously in Jay's voice, but he tried to brush it off.

"Yes, we did. We're doing good. Thanks for asking." He pushed open the partially opened door to the apartment, letting Jay step inside first.

"Where is the enigmatic Ms. Miller, tonight, anyways?" Jay asked, helping himself to a drink from Diana's bar cart.

Charles scanned the room for her, but didn't see her, a feeling of panic setting in. "She should be here. Diana enlisted her help. Let's talk later, Jay." He stepped away from his friend before he could respond. He caught Kelsey's eye from across the room, and she motioned towards the kitchen. He crossed the room in a few strides and poked his head tentatively into the kitchen. She stood with her back to him, placing a tray of mini quiches onto a platter.

"Hey there." She swore and jumped backwards, knocking a few quiches onto the floor. Charles bent to help her.

"Hey." She said quickly, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?" He rested his hand gently on her forearm, squeezing lightly.

"Actually, I should get these out there before Diana has my head." She smiled quickly and met his eyes for a moment before picking up the tray and walking back out into the living room, leaving Charles standing alone in the kitchen.

Diana called time of death on the party two hours later, after an issue with the bathroom plumbing was discovered. She had screeched for Liza, who emerged a few minutes later with a sour look on her face and soggy shoes, her cell phone to her ear. Charles lingered, helping clean up the food while Liza made calls to find a 24-hour plumber. He had just finished putting away the last of the food while Diana rinsed out some glasses when Liza walked in.

"Diana, I finally got ahold of someone who can come out tonight. He should be here in half an hour or so. Do you want me to stay?"

"No, no, you go. What a disaster. You go too, Charles. I think I can handle the rest of this."

"I'll see you on Monday, Diana. Have a good weekend." He walked out to the living room, where Liza was slipping on her jacket and rushing to the door.

"Wait, Liza." He grabbed the door as she started to swing it shut behind her, following her to the elevator. He reached out to put his hand on her back as they stepped inside, and he pressed the button for the ground floor. "Will you walk with me for a bit? I need to talk to you. I've been trying to get ahold of you all night."

She nodded as they walked through the lobby into the night. It was cool for a July night, a light breeze lending to the chill. Liza shivered, and Charles shrugged off his blazer and laid it gently over her shoulders, reaching down to take her hand as he did so.

"You saw the interview?" Liza asked quietly, as the pair began to walk down the street.

"Yes. What she said, Liza, I'm sorry you had to hear that. I'm going to talk to her, tell her to reign it in."

"She's upset and she's jealous, Charles. I don't think she'll stop."

"It's not just that that's upsetting you. I can tell, Liza. Tell me what's going on inside that pretty head of yours. Please." He implored, guiding her to a nearby bench and sitting down.

"Some of what she said today, well, it resonated with me a bit. I know what it's like to take a backseat to your husband. To give up a career to be a wife, a mother. I wouldn't give up the time I had with Caitlin, but a part of me always resented that he got to have a career while I stayed at home, taking care of everything else. That was a big part of why I finally left. I don't know if I can do that again. No, I know that I can't, that I won't do that again."

Charles squeezed her hand and shook his head. "I'm not asking you to, Liza. One of the many reasons I fell in love with you was your ambition. Your commitment to your work. It's awe-inspiring, Liza." He reached up and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear and tilting her chin up. "I don't want you to ever change who you are."

"But what if…."

"No. No ifs. No buts. It won't be like that with us, Liza. I just know it. Your marriage to David and mine to Pauline are not the same as what we have. We were all younger, stupid, probably, and there were little children involved. I'm not saying that what Pauline said isn't true. In hindsight I can definitely see that I was a little selfish and a lot clueless. She lost her identity in our marriage and resented me for it. That's not going to happen to us."

"But…" He cut her off by leaning in and capturing her lips with his in a gentle kiss. He pulled back, his forehead resting on hers.

"No. I promise that it won't be like that. Ever. You and me, Liza, we're different. We've always been different. I won't let you sacrifice who you are to be with me. I love who you are, with every fiber of my being." He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, his blues eyes meeting her brown ones, searching them.

"I love you too, Charles. I think that's why I'm so scared. I don't want this to get screwed up. This is it for me, Charles."

"I love you, and that's the beginning and end of everything." He said the Fitzgerald quote as he stood, hand outreached. Liza looked up at him, feeling safe and sound once again. Reaching up, she took his hand, accepting his silent promise that the two of them would never have to face the world alone.


	28. Dejavu

The sense of dejavu was overwhelming for Liza as she stood to the side of the crowded lobby of the Metropolitan Opera on Wednesday evening. It had been just shy of a year ago when she had been here with Josh, and Charles with Radha. She smiled to herself as she remembered stumbling out of the bathroom and into Charles, remembering how he had zipped her dress for her, his fingers trailing over her bare back. She recalled how desperately she had wanted to spin around in that hallway and kiss him like there was no tomorrow.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The man occupying her thoughts materialized in front of her, holding two glasses of champagne and looking like he had just stepped out of a James Bond movie. His black tux fit him like a glove, but Liza couldn't wait to help him out of it later.

"Just thinking about the last time we were here." She took a glass of champagne from him and sipped, her eyes sparkling back at him. "And thinking about how much I wanted to kiss you that night."

He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly against hers, tasting the champagne on her lips. "Probably not half as much as I wanted to kiss you. It took every ounce of willpower I had that night to not take your hand and run out of there. That dress was dangerous. This one is doing things for me, too." He said a little quieter, his voice husky, as his eyes dropped and raked over her body.

Liza did love this dress. Until this afternoon, she had been panicking about finding a dress to wear, so much so that Diana had finally gotten involved and made a call and taken Liza to her beloved dress shop in Midtown. She had proceeded to harangue Liza into trying on dresses of every shape, pattern and color, until Liza had finally settled on a royal blue number. It was floor length and off the shoulder, with a deep v neck. Liza had fallen in love with it on sight and had been speechless when Diana had insisted on purchasing it for her. She had said something about how Liza needed to start upgrading her wardrobe and stop wearing some of her hipster getups. Regardless, she had profusely thanked Diana the entire car ride back to the office, annoying Diana to the point that she had threatened to return the dress. It had been a memorable afternoon, to say the least, and Liza had truly enjoyed spending some time with Diana outside of the office.

"Diana picked it out."

"Remind me to give her a raise." He whispered huskily, running one hand lightly up her arm, cupping her neck as he leaned in for another kiss.

"Hey, kids, keep it PG." A voice behind them startled them, and they broke apart, turning to see Bob and Julie smiling at them from a few feet away. Liza turned slightly pink as Bob smirked at them. Julia rolled her eyes at her husband, stepping forward to kiss Charles on the cheek and pull Liza into a warm hug.

"You look beautiful, Liza! We're matching!" She looked down at her own navy blue sleeveless tea length dress and then back up at Liza.

"Yes, we are! Thank you so much for the invitation tonight." Liza leaned in to hug Bob affectionately. He had called Charles over the weekend, inviting he and Liza to the show tonight after one of the other partners at his firm had given him 4 tickets to tonight's show – Peter Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty.

"Of course. Julia loves the opera, don't you, sweetie? What about you, Liza? Ever been before?"

"Just once, last year. It was very memorable." She cast Charles a sidelong glance, and the happy couple exchanged a knowing smile.

"Well I'm so glad that the two of you could make it this evening." Said Julia. She was very much enjoying her budding friendship with Liza, who was a breath of fresh air in comparison to most of her other "society" friends. Bob had echoed her sentiments in a recent conversation, adding that he had never seen Charles happier than he had with Liza.

"Can I get a photograph of you all?" A skinny photographer stopped in front of them, gesturing for the four of them to gather together. Charles angled himself slightly behind Liza, his hand sliding around her waist. The photographer snapped a few pictures and took their names as the lobby lights flashed, indicating that it was time to take their seats. Charles let Bob and Julia lead the way up the stairs, he and Liza following. He placed his hand on the small of her back, his thumb lightly trailing over the bare skin on her back. Liza shivered as he did so, as he lit her skin on fire.

It's late in the evening when Charles and Liza finally pull up in the town car outside of the brownstone. It had been a wonderful production that both had thoroughly enjoyed. Charles had never been much of a fan, but it seemed that having Liza on his arm made quite a bit of difference. Or maybe it was watching her watch the production with rapt fascination. Either way, he made a mental note that tickets to the next season of shows might make a great gift for Liza.

Charles paid the babysitter and peeked his head into the girl's room, where they both were fast asleep. He turned off the hallway lights and opened the door to the bedroom, where Liza was leaning over to take off her heels.

"Don't take that dress off quite yet." He said, reaching over to dim the lights. "I want to dance with my girl." He pulled his phone out and tapped away for a moment before the first notes of Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years" came streaming quietly out of the speaker on his dresser. Reaching out, he smiled crookedly as Liza stood up, sliding her hand into his. He pulled her close, one hand sliding around her waist as the other clasped her hand to his chest. She slid her free arm around his shoulders, weaving her fingers into the hair on the back of his neck. They began to sway on the spot, turning in a circle as they looked into each other's eyes. Liza's heart swelled as the chorus of the song echoed in her ears, as she stared into Charles's piercing blue eyes. She laid her head against his chest, blinking back a tear. She still couldn't quite believe she was here, with the man that she had been slowly falling in love with for two years, and that she could see nothing but happiness on the horizon when she thought of a future for the two of them. Her heart was so full she thought it might explode.

As the music slowed and Liza rested her head just under his chin, Charles slid his arms around her, pulling her into a deep hug. He sensed her emotions, had seen her eyes fill with tears before she had dragged her eyes from his. He had a feeling they were tears of happiness but still felt an overwhelming need to comfort her, to make her feel safe. He kissed the top of her head before tilting her chin up to look at him. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, the damp spots on her cheeks where a tear or two had escaped, before lowering his lips to meet hers. He grazed them softly at first, barely brushing over them before settling into a long slow kiss. Liza shivered, a jolt of electricity rushing through her body, as she felt her mouth fuse with his, as she felt his fingers slowly tug on the zipper of her dress. She shrugged her arms out of the sleeves and reached up to push his tuxedo jacket off of his shoulders. Liza stepped out of her dress and moved back to him as he unknotted his bowtie, casting the black fabric aside. Liza deftly began to unbutton his shirt, kissing his chest and abs as she reached the last few buttons. Charles reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling Liza into a blazing kiss that made her see stars. Charles heard her moan through the kiss, and that was all he needed to pull her back onto the bed and begin to show her just how much she meant to him. He had no intent of letting her fall asleep anytime soon.

Saturday Morning

Charles climbed the steps to Liza and Maggie's apartment on Saturday morning, a definite spring in his step. He had just dropped the girls off to Pauline for the weekend and was free to spend the next two days uninterrupted with Liza.

He hadn't spoken to Pauline since the weekend prior. The girls had skyped with her for half an hour on Saturday morning. Charles hadn't been able to help but hover nearby, worried that Pauline might say something inappropriate to the girls. They hadn't fully discussed how they were going to field questions about the divorce from the girls, and he wasn't confident in her ability to keep her mouth shut. When the girls had started to bore of the conversation, he had sent them up to their playroom and asked Pauline for a few minutes to talk about the interview earlier in the week. She didn't apologize for what she had said but had agreed to try to keep things more focused on the book. She was being civil, so he decided not to say anything that would push her buttons. It wasn't worth it.

The door to the apartment was partially open and he could hear music playing inside. He poked his head inside tentatively. Maggie stood in her makeshift art studio in the corner by the kitchen, a blowtorch in her hand and a heavy black mask covering her face as she soldered one of her metal sculptures. He stepped in slowly, walking around the couch and hovered slightly behind her until she noticed him and switched off the blowtorch.

"I loved you in Flashdance." Maggie grinned back at him as she slid the helmet off of her head and set down the torch.

"Liza says the same thing every time I use that damn thing." She gestured for him to sit down at the island, pouring him a cup of coffee and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge for her.

"Speaking of, where is our girl?" They hadn't set a specific time to meet up, but he had figured she would be here.

"CrossFit. I know, I know." She smirked at Charles's amused expression.

"I didn't know she did CrossFit."

"Well, she hasn't gone in a while. From what I hear, she's been getting in plenty of exercise, though." She waggled her eyebrows at him and laughed as Charles turned red. "Don't worry, boy. You're going to hear a lot worse than that if you keep hanging around me. I take some getting used to."

"I tried CrossFit once with a buddy of mine. Thought I was going to die. I can't picture Liza doing burpees or lifting weights.

"Ahh, well, Josh actually got her into it. He used to drag her out of bed every Saturday morning for a class. She hated it at first, but she kinda got into it. Lauren and Kelsey asked her to go today." She saw a flicker of something, annoyance or jealously or anger, cross Charles's face as she mentioned Josh, and decided to take advantage of Liza's absence to address something with him.

"Charles, you need to get used to Josh being in her life. They're friends. He's one of my closest friends. I hope to count you as one of my closest friends, too, so it's just something you're going to have to adjust to."

He nodded. "I know, it's just new territory for me. I've never had to deal with an ex-boyfriend still hanging around, especially one that seems to be so ingrained in my girlfriend's life."

"Well, their split was more amiable than most."

"She's never really told me what happened. Just that they wanted different things."

"Yeah, he wanted a baby. She didn't." She paused, biting her lip as she saw the shocked look on his face. Shit, she thought, maybe I shouldn't have said that.

"I didn't realize that they were that serious."

"Well, I've already put my foot in my mouth, so I might as well just keep going. They had a pregnancy scare. A month or two before she went to the Hamptons with you for work. He kept pressing her about it, wanting to have a kid, so she decided to end it. Liza knew that chapter of her life was behind her, but it wasn't for Josh. She didn't want to hold him back and have him resent her down the road. So, she broke it off."

Charles paused, taking a sip of his coffee, processing what Maggie had just told him. Liza had never told him about this, and it definitely took him by surprise. It's only been a couple of months, he reminded himself as he felt all the familiar insecurities bubbling under the surface. She probably would tell him about it eventually. He knew the possibility of her getting pregnant was slim to none, but they had never talked about it. He was ashamed to admit he hadn't given much thought to preventative measures.

"Listen, Charles, Liza loves you, but she loves Josh too. He was a big part of the life that she's created, and she wants to stay friends with him. She's a good friend, I can attest to that."

"So can I."

"But she is in love with you. Truly, madly, deeply in love with you. I can see it. A blind man could see it."

"You think so?"

"I know so. And so do you." She smiled at him, reaching over to rest a hand on his. "If you hurt her, I will hunt you down and disfigure you so badly your children wouldn't recognize you." She deadpanned, her eyes meeting his. Then she started laughing.

"You're kind of terrifying, you know that? Brilliant, but terrifying." Charles chuckled, tossing back the rest of his coffee.

"Brilliant but terrifying. I like it. Maybe I'll have that inscribed on my tombstone."

Their tones lightened, and the duo spent the next half an hour chatting. When Liza dragged herself up the stairs and pushed open the door, she saw Charles standing with Maggie in her studio area, examining the stack of finished canvas's leaning up against the wall.

"You better watch out, Charles, or she'll guilt you into buying all of them. She has the skill. It's the Italian in her." She dropped her gym bag on the floor and walked over to them, leaning up to kiss Charles on the cheek.

"No guilt needed. I was thinking of getting one anyways. For the office. I think an original Maggie Amato would brighten up the place."

"Well, I'll leave you two goofs to talk art while I take a shower. That class kicked my butt today."

A few hours later Liza and Charles wandered out of the furniture store hand in hand, Charles having finally convinced Liza to let him buy her a new mattress. It would be delivered Tuesday.

"So, what would you like to do tonight, my dear?" He slid his arm around her shoulders as they strolled down the street. She bit her lip, looking up at him with slight hesitation.

"I thought we might go to Jersey."

"New Jersey?"

"Yeah, actually. My friend Michelle, she texted me this morning. She and her husband are throwing an impromptu dinner party tonight, and she wanted to know if I wanted to come."

"If you want to go, I'd be happy to come with. Does she, ah, know about me?"

Liza bite her lip again. "Umm, not exactly. She still thought that Josh and I were together. I haven't talked to her since before we broke up. But I let her know that I was seeing someone else, and she wants you to come."

They paused at a crosswalk, waiting for the traffic to clear before crossing the street.

"We never really talked about that, Liza. Your breakup. I mean, mine's been biographed in a novel, so there's not much more to tell. But we never talked about you and him."

Liza hesitated for a moment before pulling Charles to a nearby bench and sitting down. She had always planned on filling him in, but it had never come up and he had never asked until now. "The truth is, we wanted different things. I always knew that my relationship with Josh had an expiration date, but it started to get really serious. We, um, we had a scare. A pregnancy scare. And it brought up a lot of issues for us. Josh started to realize that he wanted a family, a baby. I've already done that. I've got Caitlin. I don't really want to go back to maternity clothes and midnight feedings and sleep deprivation." Charles smiled at her, encouraging her to continue. "So, I ended it. It was tough, but I couldn't continue in a relationship that was going nowhere. Especially considering my feelings for you." She reached out and squeezed his hand.

"I guess I never realized that you and he were so serious. He knew everything, then?"

"Yes. I told him pretty early on."

Charles nodded, not saying anything for a minute, and Liza continued. "I want you to know that I put off telling you for so long because my feelings for you were so strong, Charles. I was so scared of ruining what we might be. I think I was less scared to tell Josh because I knew that he and I were not going to be long term."

He nodded, reassured by the conviction in her voice. Liza had been nothing but honest with him since she had told him the truth, and he had no reason to not believe her.

"We never really talked about kids, either. I know that the chances are slim, but we haven't exactly been cautious."

Liza blushed, but patted him reassuringly on the knee. "Trust me, I have. If you want to know, I get a birth control shot, every 3 months, at my doctor's office. It's very effective. I get my next one in two weeks."

"Is that what you had when…?"

"No. I switched to this after I broke up with Josh."

"Okay. I'm just curious, I guess. I love you, and I love my girls, but I don't think I want to go back to those early days again."

"I totally agree. I want to look towards the future, not to the past." She stood up, reaching out to take his hand again. "Besides," she said, her eyes twinkling, "I like my sleep deprivation to come from an entirely different cause."

Hours later, Liza was winding her SUV through the sleepy streets of the suburban New Jersey neighborhood where she had lived for 15 years. She pulled over outside of a blue house with a white picket fence. The sun was just starting to set, casting a hazy glow over everything. Charles looked out the window, his brow furrowed.

"Is this where we're going? It doesn't look like anyone is home, Liza." He turned to look at her quizzically.

"This was my house. Where I raised Caitlin." She put the car in park, letting it idle. "I just wanted to show you this little part of me." Charles looked out the window for a minute, taking it in. He could imagine a younger Liza planting the now mature hydrangea bushes that were in full bloom along the white picket fence, could picture her swinging a toddler Caitlin on the swing set in the backyard, could picture her swinging on the front porch swing with a man that he had never met, never seen. Visions of her at book club and potluck dinners and PTA meetings flooded his brain for a moment, and he had to shake his head to clear them from his thoughts.

He turned to her, reaching over to take her hand. "Thank you for showing me this, Liza. It means a lot. I can picture you here."

"I can't. Not anymore. It feels like a lifetime ago, a different world." She leaned over to kiss him. "I much prefer my life now. However crazy and hectic and completely different from the suburbs of New Jersey it may be."

"Me too. But I like seeing this too."

"It's time to move on." She said it more to herself than to him, as she shifted back into drive and pulled back onto the road. "Their house is only a few blocks away. We'll be there in 2 minutes."

When she pulled into Michelle and Tom's driveway, she could see her blonde friend waiting on the porch for her.

"Oh goody, she's already lying in wait. This might be a long night." She added to Charles as they unbuckled their seatbelts. Chuckling, he leaned over and kissed her before they slid out of the car.

"You made it!" Michelle climbed down the front steps, crossing the lawn and pulling Liza into a hug. "It's been too long, Liza!"

"It definitely has." Liza patted her on the back before pulling away and turning towards Charles. She blushed a little as Michelle did the same, her jaw dropping slightly as she looked up at Charles. He towered over her, and he looked especially hot tonight, in his dark wash jeans and black button up. Liza thought he looked incredibly sexy in black.

"And you must be Charles Brooks. You're much taller than I thought you would be. The pictures don't do you justice."

Liza looked at her curiously. "What pictures?"

It was Michelle's turn to blush as she turned and led them back up the front porch steps. "Well, I might have done a little googling after you texted me earlier and told me that you and your new boyfriend Charles Brooks were coming tonight. There's a picture of you two from last week on the Page Six website. All dolled up like a couple of movie stars."

Charles smiled politely back at her as she talked, exchanging an amused glance with Liza. "It's lovely to meet you, Michelle. Your home is lovely."

"Wait until you see the trellis! Liza loves our trellis, don't you?"

Liza laughed and nodded. "Absolutely!"

"Charles, if you head out through those doors, I bet my husband Tom could use a hand at the grill. It's just us and a couple of neighbors tonight. I'm going to steal Liza away for a minute, if you don't mind."

"Of course not." He grinned at Liza once more before heading out to the deck. As soon as he was out of sight Michelle latched onto her arm and dragged her into the kitchen.

"Oh my god. Oh. My. God, Liza. He looks like he was carved out of stone. He is gorgeous!"

"Oh, stop, Michelle. He's not a piece of meat."

"I beg to differ. How long have you been seeing him? Where did you find him? Does he have a twin brother?"

"Down girl. You're married, remember?" Liza rolled her eyes and couldn't help but laugh at the look on Michelle's face. "We've been together for a couple of months now. And I actually, kind of work for him. He runs a publishing company, though you probably already know that if you google searched him."

"I couldn't help myself. Is that okay, you working for him and dating?"

"It's complicated, I'm not going to lie, but I think we're working it out."

"How's the sex?"

"Michelle!"

"What?! You can't bring a guy that looks like THAT here and not expect me to ask."

"You have no shame."

"An you haven't answered my question." Michelle arched an eyebrow and smirked at her, sipping on her wine.

Liza rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. "It's uh, pretty incredible."

"I bet, with a body like that. Better than Josh?"

"Oh, god. You know, with Josh, it was all physical. It was amazing, but with Charles we just connect, you know? We're so in sync, and it's just, well, it's mind blowing."

"You really like this guy, don't you?"

"I love him, Michelle. More than I thought I ever would love anyone after the divorce. He's a perfect match for me, in every way. I'm so happy."

"Ohh, Liza, you deserve this so much. I'm so glad to see you like this. I know I said the same thing about you and Josh, but I could never see you having a future with him. But with this guy – he's who I was talking about the last time you came here. Your real partner."

"I think about a future with him all the time, Michelle. You were right, I just didn't want to admit it."

Michelle put an arm around her and handed Liza a glass of wine. "I'm so happy that you're happy. Now let's get out there and rescue your man from my husband so I can gape at him some more."

Liza laughed, tossing her head back and linking an arm with Michelle. She thought about how she had thought she was happy with Josh the last time she was here. But now, knowing what it felt like to have everyone know her truths, to be able to share all aspects of her life with the man she loved, well, that was a happiness that couldn't be beat.


	29. Seriously

"Seriously?"

Liza stared across the conference room table at Diana, Charles and Kelsey, who were all smiling back at her. Charles had just asked her if she would join he, Diana and Kelsey for lunch for the annual wining and dining of one of Empirical's most established authors, Belinda Lacroix. She wrote at least one romance novel for Empirical every year, and while she didn't bring in as much financially as Edward L.L. Moore, she had a large and dedicated following.

"Seriously. I want to introduce her novels to a new generation of readers, and I want you two," he gestured to Kelsey and Liza, "there to help convince her. She's in her 80's, and has been writing books for us since before I was even born. I doubt we'll be able to convince her to write a book solely for Millennial, but maybe having you two there will help convince her that we can sell her to a younger audience."

"So, call the restaurant and change the reservation to 5, and make sure that they are aware of my dairy allergy." Diana stood, giving her marching orders to Liza before she and Kelsey exited the room, leaving Charles and Liza standing on either side of the conference table.

"Thank you." Liza repeated, earnestly, looking Charles in the eye. Realizing that they were along, Liza decided to take a moment to bring up something that she had been thinking about over the past few days. "But can I talk to you about something that's kind of been bothering me?"

Charles furrowed his brow and came around to her side of the table, gesturing for her to sit back down in the chair next to him.

"What's up?"

"I'm just worried about what is going to happen when people start realizing that I'm not 26. There's been mutterings around the office, and if we're out in public, people are going to start talking. There was that picture of us in Page Six, and the publishing world is pretty small. Word is going to get around, and I'm worried about how it's going to affect you. And the company. There's going to be blowback at some point."

Charles nodded, not saying anything for a minute. "I've been thinking about that too." He leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly scratching his face. "There's got to be a way for us to get ahead of this. I'm just not sure how."

Liza sighed, defeated, slumping back in her chair. "I don't want to hurt your company, Charles. Your family's legacy. I couldn't live with myself if I was the one that brought it down."

"You won't be. Liza, please don't think like that." He leaned forward, clasping her hands between his. "That won't happen. I'll figure out a way. I promise."

"I should never have let it get this far." She looked down at her shoes. This had been weighing on her for a while, and she had been wracking her brain for a way to figure it out. She was just in too deep with this lie. Too many people knew her as a 26-year-old and if she wanted to have everything out in the open, they needed to figure a way out of this, and fast.

"It'll be okay." Charles pulled her to her feet, leaning in to kiss her on her forehead. She wasn't sure how he was staying so calm, so levelheaded, but she was grateful for it. "Now go make that call before Diana has a heart attack." He smiled at her and pulled her into a quick hug. He watched her walk out and took a deep breath. She was right. This was a ticking time bomb. They needed to diffuse it before it exploded. He resolved to pull Diana aside later and pick her brain – if anyone knew how to put a spin on a bad situation, it was her.

"Associate Editor? That's wonderful!" Liza clinked glasses with the white-haired woman sitting across from her, squinting at her bubblegum pink pantsuit and matching hat. Belinda Lacroix was colorful, that was for sure.

"Liza is an editor for both Millennial Print and Empirical. A sort of liaison between the two imprints." Diana added, smiling across the table at her assistant.

"We should be having champagne." Belinda suggested pointedly, giving Charles an amused grin.

"Maybe we should work on our sidecar, first." Liza laughed as Belinda rolled her eyes at the comment from Charles.

"He always scolds me about drinking too much at lunch. But it didn't bother you when you were 15 and stealing sips of my whiskey, did it?" They all laughed as Charles shrugged in defeat.

"I suppose I shouldn't chastise our biggest earner after Edward L.L. Moore. Belinda has been writing at least a book a year for as long as I've known her. Her romance novels kept the lights on for a long time."

"Ah, and I'll outlast that old pervert with his tales of dragons and incest. Where's my Netflix deal?"

Kelsey nodded in agreement. "No one can get past the romance stigma. It's terrible."

"It's just sexism in a tweed jacket. Men decide romance is silly, and women feel embarrassed about reading it."

"What's so embarrassing about a woman being a hero and having great sex? You should be a feminist icon, Belinda." Charles choked on his water as the words came out of his girlfriend's mouth, and the women at the table all glanced at him, amused expressions across all of their faces.

"Feminists, ha! They don't want anything to do with my books either, at least not in public."

Kelsey leaned in, sensing this would be a good time to bring up the subject that had been discussed earlier. "We're working hard to change that, Belinda."

Charles nodded. "That's why I had Kelsey and Liza join us. Together, with another editor, they are running our Millennial imprint and doing an excellent job. They've got a couple good titles under their belt, and they just published Pauline's novel, Marriage Vacation."

Liza smiled to herself as Belinda let out a disgruntled "Hmmph," and said something under her breath about "never liked that one."

Kelsey carried on with her pitch. "We are hoping to introduce your novels to a whole new generation of readers. Sex positive women who aren't ashamed to read about women getting their happy endings in more than just the typical fashion."

Belinda laughed and smiled at Kelsey. She liked this girl. "I can't wait to hear all about it, but might I have an escort to the ladies' room? I can get down just fine, but the getting up can be melodramatic."

Diana's eyes widened and she quickly suggested that "Millennial Print do that so that they could get to know one another better." Liza and Kelsey exchanged a look, but each got up and took one of Belinda's arms, guiding her across the room. Diana leaned back, taking a sip of her white wine. "I think it's going well. She likes Liza and Kelsey, I can tell. Good call on having them come along."

"Agreed. Diana, I want to pick your brain about something while we have a few minutes. Liza and I have been trying to figure out how to get ahead of this age debacle that she's gotten herself into."

"Gotten all of us into." Diana corrected. "You don't think I've been mulling this over since the two of you dropped those bombs on me? I'm your marketing director, for god's sake. Of course I've thought about it. We're going to have to do something fast, especially if you two keep having your picture splashed across Page Six."

"Do you have any thoughts?"

"A few. She needs to come clean on her own terms. She's going to have to deal with some negativity, some press, no matter what. She could do an article, or a Podcast episode with Dr. Wray. I would lean towards the article. Or she could write a book."

Charles sat up in his chair. "What? Liza, write a book?"

"Yes. About her experiences. About why she did what she did. Reinventing her life after she thought she lost everything. She's a good writer, and it could gather some attention."

"I don't know. She's an excellent writer, but I'm not sure that she's ready for that."

The conversation was cut short when Kelsey came crashing out of the ladies' room, yelling something about 911, a panicked look on her face.

"What a day."

The team stepped out the Empirical elevator 2 days later, an hour after Belinda's funeral. They were dressed head to toe in pink. Zane had even donned a pink suit, while Charles had opted for wearing a pink tie with his black suit.

"We look like we just came back from a breast cancer 5k" Kelsey muttered, causing the other 4 to chuckle in response. "I think we all need to go for a drink."

"Oh, shit!" Diana grabbed Liza's arm. "What time is it?"

"5:30. What's going on, Diana!"

"It's Thursday. My date with Enzo! I can't meet him looking like strip of bubblegum!"

Liza had completely forgotten about Diana's date. She hadn't filled Liza in on all the details, but apparently the plumber that Liza had called on Friday was an old flame of sorts, and he had asked Diana out. Liza couldn't imagine her boss saying yes to a date with a plumber, but here they were. She followed Diana to her office.

"Just calm down. You've got your clothes from earlier, remember. That black dress you were wearing will be great for a date. Diana, breathe. I'll help you get ready." She turned and closed the door, flashing a smile to Charles across the room before she pulled the blinds shut.

"It's 6:00. I don't see him." Liza stood outside of the office building with Diana as she waited for her date to arrive. She shivered, running her hands up and down her arms. It was the end of July, but a storm was rolling in, and the temperature had dropped significantly, and the wind was picking up.

"Well, good night then." Diana shook her head and started to turn, but Liza grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Oh, no, no, no. You're going on this date. A great guy fell into your lap and you are going to go out with him. It's midtown at 6 PM, he's probably just stuck in traffic."

Diana sighed, reluctant, but didn't move. "You're annoying when you're happy."

"If I wasn't so happy I might be offended by that statement." Diana chuckled, but her response was cut off by a series of loud honks emitting from a white utility van that was pulling up to the curb.

"Oh, good god, I'm going on a date with my plumber."

Liza grinned and pushed Diana towards the curb, taking a few steps backs to watch Diana. The man that got out of the van was probably in his late thirties and was very handsome. He looked Italian, and was dressed in a nice suit. If it weren't for the giant plumbing service ad on the side of the van, Liza would have thought he was another Midtown businessman.

"Is that Diana's hot date?" She turned to see Charles leaning up against the outside of the building. He had taken his tie off and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.

"Hey! Yeah, it is." She waved and laughed as Diana gave her one last apprehensive glance before the van drove off. "I didn't know if you were still here."

"I was waiting for you." He reached out a hand for hers, taking her smaller one in his larger hand. "Ready to go?"

"You bet." She intertwined her fingers with his, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked down the street to their waiting car. "What's on the agenda for tonight?"

"Frozen, probably, for the 10th time this week. Ahh, shoot." Charles shook his head as he opened the car door for Liza before sliding in next to her. "Pauline will be there. She took the girls to the zoo this afternoon and offered to wait at the townhouse until I got home."

"Do you want me to go?" She certainly didn't want to but didn't want to cause Charles any problems.

"No. She needs to get used to seeing us together. It'll be fine." He squeezed Liza's hand reassuringly as they pulled into traffic, but there was something in his tone that made Liza think he might not be entirely confident in his assurances.

As Charles and Liza made their way slowly through the busy streets of Manhattan, Pauline was pawing through the drawers in Charles's master bath, looking for a band-aid. She had gotten a papercut while going through some art supplies with Nicole and was swearing as she opened a second drawer. Of course he had reorganized everything, she thought, or maybe his precious girlfriend didn't like how Pauline organized her toiletries.

She had told herself that she wasn't going to be bitter, but she couldn't help it. Seeing Charles and Liza all cozy at the 4th of July party had just pushed her over the edge. She had spent the last two weeks trying to forget about it, but she found herself obsessing over it. On more than one occasion, usually during one of her restless nights in her hotel, she had found herself, for lack of a better word, stalking Liza and her friends on social media. Liza didn't have a Facebook and had apparently set her Instagram to private within the past week, because Pauline could no longer see her posts. But Kelsey's profiles were open, as were Liza's daughters' accounts. Pauline had drank/cried herself to sleep when she had stumbled across a picture of Charles, Liza and the girls on Caitlin's Instagram page. It was the next day when she had given that scathing interview, hungover and jealous.

Shaking her head, she opened up the medicine cabinet behind the mirror in Charles's bathroom. She saw a box of Band-Aids and reached for them but faltered when she saw a makeup bag sitting on the shelf next to the box. She blinked, taking a step back and noticing the curling iron sitting unplugged, a bottle of peach scented lotion next to the sink. She pulled open the shower curtain and saw bottles of woman's shampoo sitting next to Charles's, a bottle of coconut body wash next to the brick of soap. Pauline whipped the curtain shut and walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom. A pair of woman's slippers laid next to what used to be her side of the bed. A garment bag holding a royal blue dress hung on the back of the bedroom door. Closing her eyes for a moment, she pulled open the door to the walk-in closet. She saw mostly Charles's clothes, but one side of the closet was partially filled with colorful dresses and tops. Liza's clothes. She ran her hands across some of the material, recognizing a few of the items. She stepped out of the closet, closing the door and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

_You need to move on, Pauline_, she told herself repeatedly as she took some deep breathes. _He has, so you should too. _She stood, returning to the bathroom to retrieve that damn Band-Aid and close the drawers she had been rifling through. Downstairs, she heard the front door open and close. He was home.

"Bianca, Dad's home!" Nicole yelled up the stairs as Charles and Liza stepped through the front door.

"Hey, sweet pea, how was the zoo?" Charles leaned down to give Nicole a hug as she ran over to him.

"It was so cool. I got to touch an elephant, Daddy!"

"That's awesome. Where's your Mom?"

"I'm right here." Pauline climbed down the steps behind Bianca, who ran across the room and threw herself at Liza and Charles. Charles didn't miss the flash of anger that crossed Pauline's face as she watched Bianca hug Liza. "Hello Charles. Liza."

Liza detected the animosity in Pauline's voice and decided to make herself scarce_. I should have just gone home_, she thought, as she stepped away from Charles.

"Why don't I go start some dinner? Bianca, Nicole, do you want to come help?"

"You're certainly making yourself comfortable here." Pauline muttered snidely, after the girls had exited the room.

"Don't start with this, Pauline." Charles replied, his voice taking on a cool and firm tone. Liza squared her shoulders and looked Pauline in the eyes. "Yes, I am. You're just going to have to get used to this Pauline," she said, as she slipped an arm around Charles' waist, "I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

She shot daggers at both of them as she picked up her coat and purse. Ignoring Liza, she turned to Charles. "I'll see you tomorrow." She slammed the front door behind her, and Charles let out a heavy sigh. "So much for her being civil."

"What's tomorrow?"

"Our meeting about the divorce with our attorneys. Should be a fun morning." He groaned, rolling his neck and letting out another heavy sigh. Liza moved behind him, reaching up to massage his shoulders. She felt taught muscles underneath his shirt and had to remind herself that the girls were just a few rooms away. "You're so tense, babe." She leaned into his back, whispering into his ear. "Maybe you should get a massage later."

Charles stirred at her words, his whole body responding to her as he turned to kiss her. "I'd like that." He whispered huskily. He leaned in, kissing that spot just below her ear that usually set her off, grinning as she pushed him back, a bemused look in her eyes.

"I need to get in the kitchen before Bianca and Nicole blow it up. Why don't you have a drink and relax, and I'll let you know when dinner is ready." Liza leaned in and kissed him gently before kicking off her heels and walking down the hall, turning to smile at him as she pushed open the door to the kitchen. He grinned back, instantly feeling the weight lift from his shoulders. As long as he had her, he knew everything would be okay.

Charles walked into the bedroom a few hours later after tucking the girls in to find Liza perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for him. The ceiling light was off, and she had tossed a scarf over the bedside lamp, casting the room in an orangish-pink glow. She had lit a few candles around the room, the light flickering and casting shadows across the walls.

"Lock the door." She directed him, standing and walking towards him. He swallowed hard as he reached behind him, locking the door. She looked like some sort of ethereal goddess, her hair cascading over her shoulders in waves, wearing a lacy black pajama set. "It's time for your massage." Charles ran his hands over her body as she reached up to unbutton his shirt, pulling the fabric out of his suit pants and pushing it off of his shoulders. He had lost his shoes and socks earlier when he and Liza had chased the girls around. He took a deep breath as she locked eyes with him, her eyes glinting mischievously as she fiddled with his belt. His breath hitched as he felt her tug on the zipper and push his pants to the floor. He never had experienced such sensuality in undressing as he had with Liza. It added a whole new level to foreplay that he had never experienced with anyone else.

She tilted her head towards the bed. "I'll be right back." She walked into the bathroom as he climbed onto the bed, laying down on his stomach and resting his head on a pillow. She came out a minute later, holding a bottle of clear liquid. "Baby oil." He chuckled, resting his head on his arms. He had to resist turning over and kissing her as she climbed up onto the bed and straddled his waist, her legs on the outside of his.

"So tense." She whispered, leaning over to plant a kiss between his shoulder blades, her hair tickling his bare back as her lips grazed his skin. Liza smiled to herself as she heard a sharp intake of breath come from the man underneath her as she dropped a couple drops of oil onto his back and started massaging it into his skin. He really was tense, she thought, as she rubbed his back in concentric circles trying to work out the knots she felt in his shoulders. She leaned forward again, kissing his neck in the same spot he always kissed her, moving up to nip at his earlobe.

Charles moaned contentedly underneath her, completely relaxed, but using all of his willpower to resist turning over and flipping Liza on her back. How they hadn't done this before blew his mind. He let his mind wander for a minute, thinking back on their first few times together. They had quickly become wholly uninhibited with each other, trying new positions that brought them both extreme amounts of satisfaction. He was more in sync with her sexually than he had ever been with a partner before. She could turn him on with one look, one smile, one graze of her lips across his. He never would have imagined in his wildest dreams that the first time that he had met her in Diana's office that they would be together like this. He had been so closed off then, had had zero interest in dating anyone or even considering dating anyone. He didn't think it was necessarily love at first sight, but it was something so familiar about her that just set his heart at ease. Something like oh, hello, it's you. It's going to be you. The one I've been waiting for.

He felt Liza move backwards a little bit and couldn't help but groan loudly when her hands began to massage his lower back. She applied more pressure to the spot, pressing into his warm skin with her palm. She lowered her lips to him again, leaving a trail of wet kisses up his back. She reached her hands around and slid them down his arms to intertwine with his fingers, matching his sigh of contentedness. They lay there like that for a minute or two, enjoying the moment.

Liza gasped a moment later as Charles turned over and grabbed her waist, turning them over again so that he was hovering over her, smiling down at her, his eyes dark with desire. He lowered his head to kiss her, taking her mouth in his and kissing her hungrily. He had meant to kiss her gently, but god damn, he wanted her. Willing himself to slow down, he pulled back from her. "It's your turn." He whispered, his eyes flickering down to her swollen lips before kissing them gently. He moved slowly down her body, kissing or touching every inch of her skin. She gasped and arched up against him as he kissed her breasts while his free hand slipped between her thighs, pulling her lace pajamas down and slipping inside her.

"Charles." She moaned, her hips arching up against him. He moved his lips down to her stomach, her navel, his mouth quickly taking the place of his hand. She moaned again, reaching down to rake her fingers through his hair with one hand and clenching the sheets with another. She felt his hands grip onto her thighs and gave herself over completely to him, calling out his name again. He moaned against her and she felt the pressure building inside of her, like she would implode at any moment. Just as he felt her start to go over the edge he shifted, pulling his boxers down and slipping inside of her. She cried out and he moved to cover her mouth with his. He started to move quickly, but Liza moved her hand to press against his chest, which he had come to recognize as her wanting him to slow down. He quieted his pace, slowly moving against her as he stared into her eyes, watching her slowly become undone. She threw her head back and arched against him again, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He grasped her hands, holding them together over her head as he thrust into her hard, letting out a primal groan as she tightened around him and he came over the edge, collapsing on top of her.

"That was…." He began, but Liza cut him off, panting a little bit.

"Amazing, unbelievable, mind-blowing, fantastic?"

"All of the above." He propped himself up on his elbows as he lifted his head to kiss her gently, both of them completely spend. "I think we should do that every night."

Liza giggled, biting her lip. "I don't think I'd be able to walk if we did that every night." She sighed with satisfaction as he extricated himself from her and rolled over onto his side as Liza slipped her pajama bottoms back on and they slipped under the covers. She snuggled up against him, basking in the heat radiating off his body as he slipped his arm around her. Charles nuzzled his face against hers, his eyes closed, his arm wrapped tight around her, and Liza thought that this feeling might be the best in the world. Falling asleep with the one you love, who loves you, holding them and feeling perfectly, incandescently safe.

AN: I hope you like this chapter! I'm still trying to figure out how I want Liza's age lie to be dealt with, so please let me know if you have any suggestions. I'm kind of liking the idea of her doing some sort of interview or article rather than writing a book about it, but I'm still open to the idea. Let me know what you think or if there's anything you'd like to see in my upcoming chapters.


	30. Pre-Nups and Parties

Liza sat on the couch in Charles' office the following afternoon, trying to patiently wait for him to return from his meeting with Pauline. He had said that he would be back by noon, but it was almost quarter to one and still no sign of him. The office was exceptionally quiet today, which wasn't really a surprise, because it was the last Friday of July, and the weather was glorious. Diana had surprisingly even taken the afternoon off, but not before filling Liza in on what seemed to be a very successful date the night before. She and Enzo were going out again tonight, and Diana had directed Liza call and set up appointments for waxing and a blowout for the afternoon. Kelsey was out of the office for a meeting and Zane was settled into his office, so Liza had taken her stack of manuscripts and retired to Charles's office to read. His couch was infinitely more comfortable than her desk chair, and she had settled in, slipping her shoes off and tucking her feet up under her. She had run out at noon to the deli down the street, picking up Charles's favorite sandwich and a salad for herself, both of which sat untouched on the coffee table in front of her.

Charles stepped off the elevator into the Empirical Office, immediately scanning the room for Liza. Her desk was empty, and the lights were off in Diana's office. The whole office seemed oddly quiet, but, he thought, it was a Friday in the middle of summer. He remembered being younger and working here for his father and grandfather during his summers home from Princeton and wanting to be anywhere else when the weather was this glorious. Maybe she went out for lunch, he thought, as he walked down the hall to his office. He cursed himself for not calling her when he left that horrendously long meeting and asking her to meet him somewhere for lunch.

He saw her before she saw him as he walked up to his office. He watched her through the blinds for a few moments. She sat barefoot on his couch, her feet tucked up under her, a manuscript in her lap. She was chewing on the tip of a highlighter, her reading glasses slipping slightly down on her nose. He couldn't help but smile. He loved watching her read, loved how she became so totally engrossed in whatever she was reading that the whole world around her seemed to dissipate. He pushed open the door and leaned against the frame, hands in his pockets. "Can I come in?"

She jumped as she heard his voice, the manuscript sliding from her lap onto the floor. "Oh, jeez, you scared me. Sorry, I just came in here to read. Better lighting, comfier cushions."

He sat down in the armchair across from the couch and smiled at her. "Don't apologize. I like seeing you in here. Seems right."

She picked up the manuscript and set it on the table and slid the sandwich and a bottle of water across to him. "I ran out and got you a sandwich a bit ago. I wasn't sure if you'd have time for lunch today."

"Thanks babe. I'm starving." He dug into the sandwich as she forked a piece of lettuce from her salad, fiddling with it.

"So, how'd it go? You don't have to tell me, if you don't want, but…" She trailed off, looking nervous.

Charles swallowed his food and took a drink of water before answering. "Of course I want to tell you, Liza. You're part of this now. I want to share this with you." He took another drink of water before continuing. "It went okay, I think. We had a pre-nup, which I hated at the time, but I'm kind of grateful now for it. I remember almost coming to blows with my father when he insisted on it."

"I'm sure it wasn't something either of you ever planned on having to worry about. I never thought I would be getting divorced after 20 years of marriage, but here we are."

"Exactly. The agreement protects the business, the house. She doesn't get any interest in the business, and the brownstone has been in my family for 3 generations. My grandparents lived there, and my parents after they passed."

"Good. And the girls?"

"She's still not going to fight me on custody, thank god. Pauline knows that she wouldn't win in court. So we're agreeing on joint custody, with me having primary placement. During the school year she gets every other weekend and up to two overnights during the week. We're going to share holidays and breaks as evenly as possible, and she'll get two uninterrupted weeks in July and August.

"That's generous."

"We'll see how it goes. If the girls don't like the schedule, we'll have to change it in court, so fingers crossed."

"I bet they'll do good. She only lives a few blocks away now, so it's not like they'll be jostled all over the place."

"Yeah. She uh, she wants the house in Pound Ridge, though."

"Really? What does that mean?"

"Well, according to our pre-nup, any property outside of the main residence is either supposed to be sold and the proceeds divided 50/50 or one of us has to buy out the other's equity in the house. So, if she wants it, she'll have to pull together the money to buy me out."

"I can't imagine that would be cheap."

"No, but I believe she still has quite a large chunk of her trust fund that's been left untouched. We mostly lived on my money, the money coming from Empirical and from my inheritance. And her parents are very well off, so I bet they'd help her."

"So, you're considering it?" Liza asked, legitimately surprised.

"Yeah, I am." He nodded, chewing down more of his sandwich. "That place was always her dream. She was the one that made all the decisions during the build. I was, apparently, too busy with work to care. I've loved spending time out there, but it's more the company than the location that I care about. And considering that I'm pretty much getting everything else that I want that's important to me, I think I could let this one go."

"Still, that's a big decision."

"You know, we could take the money we get from the house and find a place that's more our speed. Maybe somewhere upstate."

"We?" Liza swallowed hard, looking back at him. They hadn't really discussed their future, but clearly they were both thinking about it. Charles reached over, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Yes, we. I know we haven't talked about it much yet, but I'd love to find a place for us to make new memories. You, me and the girls. Our family." Liza could feel her eyes filling with tears and tried to choke them back.

"Our family. I like the sound of that."

"Me too. So much." He hesitated, not wanting to ruin the moment with the next bit of information. "She, uh, is asking to renegotiate her contract on Marriage Vacation. She wants the option to her future novels back. She doesn't want us to publish anything else that she writes."

"Is she writing a sequel?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

Liza bit her lip. "That may complicate something that Kelsey and I wanted to talk to you about. I'm assuming Pauline told you the news that came out this morning?"

"That Reese Witherspoon's book club picked her book for August, yeah. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Kelsey and I had an idea this morning. What if we worked out a deal with her production company? Like a first look, or a project incubator. Their team would have first look at all of Millennial's novels for productions into movies or tv series. We sent out a message to her team just before lunch." She leaned back, watching him to gauge his reaction. She had wanted to discuss this with him before reaching out to Hello Sunshine, but Kelsey had wanted to strike while the iron was hot and had sent a DM on Instagram to the Hello Sunshine team.

"I love that idea, but why didn't you wait to run it by me before reaching out to them?" He furrowed his brow and leaned back in the chair. It wasn't like Liza to make a unilateral decision about something work related without at least talking to him about it first.

"I wanted to, but Kelsey thought it would be good to reach out to them while there was buzz about the novel because of the book club. You like the idea, though?"

He smiled to himself as he saw how nervous she looked. He was amazed at how brilliant she was, and how modest she was at the same time. She truly had no idea how fantastic she was at her job. "I think it's brilliant, Liza. Was it your idea, or Kelsey's?"

"It was both of us, but she is the one that reached out to them. She is the face of Millennial, after all. I'm supposed to be taking a step back, remember?"

"Yes, but clearly she needs you."

Liza shook her head, standing to clear the remnants of their lunch. "She doesn't. She's brilliant on her own." She said, dumping the trash into a can by his desk before turning and walking back to him. "I don't want my mistakes to get in the way of her career."

Charles reached up and hooked an arm around her, pulling her down so that she was sitting on his lap. He wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her flush to his chest. "You don't see it, do you?" He asked quietly, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes, searching her warm brown eyes. "Kelsey needs you to guide her. Yes, she's young and smart and witty, but she needs you to balance her out. Just like I need you to balance me out. You didn't come into either of our lives by accident, Liza. She needs you. I need you. I love you, baby, but you need to stop being afraid of what could do wrong and start being excited about what could go right."

Liza nuzzled her head against his chest, resting against his shoulder. He was right. Yes, she'd had an amazing, crazy, wild life these past two years, but she had been constantly waiting for something to go wrong, worrying about everything and everything. She needed to walk confidently towards the future, towards their future, hand in hand with the man she loved.

Charles awoke slowly on Sunday morning, stretching his long limbs out in Liza's bed, smiling sleepily when he realized his feet no longer hung off the end of the bed. He rolled over to wrap his arm around Liza but found her side of the bed empty. Frowning, he looked around for her before noticing a sticky note perched on top of her pillow.

_Good Morning, handsome. Went to farmer's market with Maggie. Be back soon. ILY. _

He smiled again, flopping his head back onto the pillow, enjoying the peace and quiet. Yesterday he and Liza had trucked the girls to Pound Ridge for a friend's birthday party, and the entire day had been nothing but chaos. He and Liza had managed to escape for an hour or two, making a quick trip to his Pound Ridge residence. They had walked hand in hand through the house and the grounds, and it was on that walk that he made the decision to say goodbye to this place. Everywhere he looked, he saw Pauline. In the décor in the house, the meticulously manicured gardens, the secluded corner of the lawn where he was fairly confident Bianca had been conceived. It was time to let this place go. To make new memories with Liza. He got a little excited picturing them buying a home together, fixing it up and putting their mark on it. Something upstate, secluded. Maybe an old farmhouse with lots of land, or a country cottage with wild gardens. He was fairly confident that Liza would love the latter, given her penchant passion for English literature. Their own Longbourne estate. He smiled to himself again and resolved to quietly start looking for a place this fall.

He got up and stretched, his muscles sore, but in a good way. He had spent half the afternoon chasing his kids around a party and spent most of his evening in bed with Liza after he had dropped the girls off to spend the rest of the weekend with Pauline. Throwing on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, he padded barefoot out into the loft in search of coffee.

"Good Morning!"

Charles jumped at the sound of a voice behind him, letting loose an expletive that left the blonde teenager sitting on the couch smirking.

"Caitlin! Jesus, you scared me. What're you doing here?"

Caitlin arched an eyebrow at him. "I didn't realize I needed permission to come visit my mom?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I was just surprised to see you?" He poured a cup of coffee for himself, grabbing the cream from the fridge. "Do you want a refill?" He gestured to her mug, walking over to fill it when she nodded. She had a notebook and a course catalogue on her lap. "What's all this?" He returned the coffee carafe to the machine and picked up his cup, returning to the couch to sit with Caitlin, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"My course catalogue for Vassar. I had signed up for all my classes, but they changed the schedule and now I have to find two new electives. I'm stumped."

He gestured at the papers spread out in front of her. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Please. I feel like my head is going to explode. That's why I came over this morning. I needed Mom to help me figure this out, but she's not here."

"She went to the farmer's market with Maggie. I'm sure they'll be back soon."

They were quiet for a few minutes as Charles surveyed the schedule that Caitlin had drawn out and the voluminous course catalogue. He tabbed a couple of pages, flipping back and forth. "Here." He said triumphantly, handing her back the papers. "I think this would work. There's a Developmental Psychology class being offered on Tuesday and Thursdays that would fit into your schedule. You've already taken the prerequisite, and it looks like you need to take a psychology class at some point this year anyways. And here, you could take either this English class or this Art History class between your Monday, Wednesday and Friday Education classes. Personally, this English class looks cool." He pointed to one on the page titled "New York Stories". "It's all about different New York authors or works. I mean, I might be a little biased considering the business I'm in, but it sounds cool to me."

Caitlin scanned the course description. It actually did sound really interesting, and it looked like she would be able to pick and choose which books she wanted to read. "How in the heck did you figure that out so quick? I must have spent a good two hours looking over this stupid book last night."

"A fresh pair of eyes never hurts." He smiled as she jotted down the names and times of the classes he suggested before closing her notebook and setting her papers down on the coffee table.

"Well, thank you. You're a freaking godsend. Now, we can talk about more important things. What are you planning for Mom's birthday next week?"

"Her birthday is next week?! She hasn't said anything!"

Caitlin rolled her eyes, laughing. "Of course, she didn't. She's not big on birthdays. But I think we should do something for her. It's on Friday."

"I can't believe she hasn't said anything. Well, we need to do something. Any ideas?"

"Any ideas for what?" The door to the apartment opened, Liza and Maggie entering, loaded down with bags from the farmer's market. She dropped her bags on the counter, coming over to lean down between them. "Good Morning, sweet daughter." She kissed Caitlin on the forehead before turning to Charles. "Good Morning, sweet boyfriend," She whispered, leaning in to kiss him on the lips.

"Ew." Caitlin got up as they all laughed and joined Maggie in the kitchen, helping her unload a bag full of fruit.

"You two looked awfully chummy when I walked in." Liza observed, still leaning over the back of the couch.

"We had a good talk."

"Yeah, Mom, he totally saved my ass." Caitlin started to fill Liza in on the scheduling debacle and grabbed the course book to show her the classes Charles had picked out. Charles took advantage of Liza's momentary distraction and sidled up to Maggie to help her unpack her bags.

"So, Caitlin just told me that Liza's birthday is on Friday. How did I not know about this?"

"Well, she's tried to keep her birthday on the DL the past couple of years, for obvious reasons. She probably doesn't want you to make a big deal about it."

Charles raked a hand through his hair, leaning his arms on the island. "How about a party? Nothing too big, just some close friends. We could do it at my house on Friday night."

Maggie nodded as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "She'd probably be okay with that."

"Surprise party or should we tell her?"

Maggie flashed him what could only be described as a wicked grin. "Surprise. Definitely."

"Are you sure he's home?" Kelsey leaned over Liza as the town car idled outside of the brownstone on Friday evening, squinting up at the dark windows. She was, of course, in on the surprise birthday plans for Liza. She had snuck out of the office on Monday afternoon to have lunch with Charles and Maggie to plan Liza's surprise 41st birthday party and had been primarily responsible for keeping Liza distracted today. Charles had taken most of the day off to come home and set up, so Kelsey had brought Liza along on a couple of morning meetings out of the office before treating her to lunch and an afternoon spa treatment and a little shopping.

Kelsey had convinced her to buy a flirty lilac colored dress for her "dinner" with Charles, and Liza sat in the car fidgeting with the deep v neck on the sleeveless A-line dress. Charles had told Liza that he was taking her out to dinner for her birthday, just the two of them, and to meet him at the townhouse at 7:00. But Kelsey was right, the house did look dark.

"Maybe he's stuck at the office. I should text him."

"No, no, just go in. I'll come in and wait with you." Kelsey got out of the car, gesturing for Liza to follow. She had sent a quick text to Charles when they turned onto his street, letting him know that they were almost there. She bounced on her heels as Liza pulled her keys out and unlocked the door, stepping into the dark foyer and reaching over to turn on the lights.

"Surprise!"

"Oh my god!" Liza yelled in shock, her hand jumping up to her chest. "What is this?" She asked Charles, who was standing at the front of a group of about 15 people. He grinned back at her as he walked up to her and hugged her. "Happy Birthday, baby."

"I can't believe you pulled this off without me figuring it out."

He leaned into her, grazing her lips as his hand rested on the small of her back, which was bare in the sexy purple dress that she was wearing, the one that made her legs look a mile long. "I had some good helpers." He gestured to where Kelsey, Maggie and Caitlin stood, smiling mischievously back at her. He stepped back, grinning from ear to ear as she was swept up in a sea of hugs and birthday wishes.

Charles thought he had done a pretty good job with the party. He hadn't planned a birthday party that wasn't for one of his daughters since early on in his marriage to Pauline. He'd kept the guest list small, as promised. He had convinced Pauline to pick the girls up at 8:00 instead of 7:00, so that they could have an hour with Liza, eat some cake, and give her their present. Bob and Julia were there, chatting with Liza's friend Michelle and her husband Tom. Diana and her new beau Enzo were there, as well as Zane, who was talking to Jay. Maggie had been adamant that Josh should be invited, but he wasn't here yet. He was secretly hoping he wouldn't show up but had overheard Maggie say that he was coming with Lauren and should be there in a few minutes.

He had decked the place out in flowers and balloons and had ordered a specialty cake that looked like a stack of books. He had even had the baker put Liza's favorite titles on the spines of the books. He'd hired a bartender and made sure there was plenty of champagne, as well as little trays of all of Liza's favorite foods. A table stood the side of front room, stacked with cards and gifts. He smiled to himself once more before stepping back into the fray.

"Liza! Liza!" Bianca and Nicole ran through the crowd, launching themselves at Liza and wrapping their tiny little arms around her waist, causing her to grab onto Jay to keep from stumbling over.

"Hey kiddos!" She knelt down to give them hugs.

"Open our present, Liza! We made it ourselves." They pointed to a rectangular package wrapped in Frozen wrapping paper.

"You did, did you? Well then I have to open it!" Nicole grabbed it off the table and handed it to her as Charles came over to give her a glass of champagne. "Daddy, Liza's opening our present."

"I see that." He watched as Liza carefully unwrapped the box, opening it to reveal the picture frame that the girls had spent a better part of the morning decorating. They had painted the words "We 3 Liza" across the top, and Charles had printed off the picture that they wanted framed. It was from the 4th of July. Liza sat on the grass in the picture, Nicole and Bianca sitting in front of her. All were grinning wildly, Liza's head resting on Nicole's, and Nicole's resting on Bianca's. He had taken the picture himself, and already had a smaller version framed in his study.

"Aww, babies, I love it. Thank you so much! It's so beautiful!" The girls broke out into huge smiles and leaned in to hug her. Behind them, the door opened, and Lauren and Josh filed in. Charles nodded at them, smiling politely, before leaning down and telling Liza to turn the frame over. A small box was taped to the back.

"Open it!" Bianca giggled excitedly.

"What is this?" Liza looked up at Charles.

"Just open it." He bit his lip as Liza opened up the box and pulled out the necklace, holding it up to examine it closer. "I don't think you two made this, did you?" Both girls giggled again, and Nicole said "No, but we helped Daddy pick it out."

Liza held up the silver chain, from which dangled a pendant with five small circular gemstones, one resting on top of the other.

"Hey, I helped with that one too!" Caitlin called as she walked over. "It's our gemstones, Mom. Charles, you, me, Nicole and Bianca. Put it on! It'll match your dress"

Charles reached down to take the necklace from her. "Let me." He whispered, pulling her hair to one side of her neck and securing the necklace on her neck. He leaned in to kiss her just behind the ear before stepping away. "Beautiful."

Liza turned to him, leaning up to plant a kiss on his lips. "I love it." She saw Josh roll his eyes out of the corner of hers as he set a gift bag on the table and headed towards the bar. She wasn't going to let him ruin this night for her and went over to give Lauren a hug.

The next hour passed quickly as she made her way around the room, talking to everyone. She was officially introduced to Enzo, Diana's new boyfriend, and really liked him. He seemed calm and down to earth, which was something that Diana needed a bit more of, in Liza's opinion. At just past 8:00, Charles climbed halfway up the staircase, clinking a spoon against his glass of champagne. As he did, the door opened again and Pauline slipped in, coming to pick up the girls. Everyone's backs were turned to her, and Charles didn't seem to see her come in.

"I'd like to say just a few words before we cut into that cake. Liza, honey, would you come up here for a minute?" Liza climbed up the steps, joining him with a glass of champagne in hand. Charles slipped his arm around her waist, squeezing her side.

"Love isn't perfect. As much as we would like to believe, it isn't a fairytale or a storybook and it doesn't always come easy. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, fighting to be together, holding on and never letting go. It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define and impossible to live without. Love is work, but most of all, love is realizing that every hour, every minute, every second of it was worth it because you did it together. I couldn't imagine living without you, Liza, and I'm so grateful for the love that we share. I only wish that every single person in this room, in the world, could experience a love like ours. If you're lucky, I mean, if you're the luckiest person on the entire planet, the person you love decides to love you back. I'm one of the lucky ones. Happy Birthday to my person, my love, my girl, my forever. I love you." He pulled her flush against him, leaning down to kiss her sweetly, her hand coming up to rest on his chest. They stood in their embrace for a few moments, only breaking apart when Caitlin shouted "Get a room! There are kids here!" Everyone laughed and Charles took Liza's hand in his as they climbed back down the stairs. It was then that the crowd parted, and Charles finally spotted Pauline by the front door.

"I'll, uh, go get the girls and tell them to go get their bags." Liza shot Pauline a small smile before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

"That was quite a speech, Charles."

He shuffled, sticking his hands in his pockets. He really didn't want to have it out with Pauline, not tonight. "I'm sorry if hearing that upset you Pauline, but I'm not going to apologize for speaking the truth. It's how I feel."

"I know. It's just…." She reached up to wipe a tear from her eye. "I don't remember you ever talking about us like that. It's just making me realize that we never would have worked out, now that she's in your life. Maybe realize isn't the right word. Accept it, maybe. You never loved me like you love her."

"I did. But sometimes love fades, Pauline. I still love you. We spent some good years together, and we have two amazing daughters. I love you for what we had. The happy times, the good memories. It wasn't all bad.

"No, it wasn't." She started to say something else, but was cut off by Bianca and Nicole, followed by Liza carrying their overnight bags.

"Girls, say goodbye to Liza, okay? Time to go with Mommy." Both girls hugged Liza tightly, telling her happy birthday and that they loved her. Charles saw Pauline discreetly wipe away another tear before taking the bags from Liza.

"Happy Birthday, Liza." She smiled tightly at Liza before turning away towards the door, the girls following behind her. Charles and Liza turned back and returned to the party, where Jay and Bob promptly pulled Charles away into a heated debate about something sport related. Shaking her head, Liza went to head upstairs to use the restroom, stopping for a moment to say goodbye to Michelle and Tom, who were heading out. She climbed up the steps and headed towards the main bathroom, where she bumped into Josh.

"Happy Birthday stranger." He leaned in, pulling her into a hug and kissing her on the cheek. "I, uh, didn't know we were supposed to bring presents." He gestured at the necklace she was wearing.

"You know I don't care about that. I'm just glad you made it. I haven't seen you around much."

Josh ran a hand through his hair, sighing frustratingly. "Yeah, well, you've been clocking a lot of hours on the Upper East Side. I don't ever see you at the bar anymore."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I'll try to come around more. How are you doing?" She tilted her head, looking at him questioningly. She really hadn't seen him much since the Clare breakup.

"I'm over it. She wasn't the one, you know?" He trailed off, and the look in his eyes twisted Liza's stomach up into knots.

"Josh, I can't have this conversation again."

"I love you, Liza. I'm in love with you. Doesn't that mean anything to you? I don't care about the rest of it. I love you."

"And I love Charles, Josh. You and me, it's not happening. I don't know what else I can do to make you understand that. I need you to respect that I'm moving on. That I've moved on. I love you so much, as a friend. But I'm in love with him. You need to let me go, Josh." She wiped away a tear falling down her cheek and turned to walk away, but Josh reached out and wrapped his hand around her arm, pulling her back to him and crushing his lips against his.

The movement took Liza by surprise, and it took her a moment to realize what was happening. She reached up and pushed Josh back, holding her arm out to keep him an arm's length away.

"No, Josh. Just no. I'm not doing that." She leaned up against the wall, covering her face with her hands. "I need you to go, Josh."

"Shit, Liza. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shied away from him. "I'll head out. Happy Birthday." Liza rested her head against the wall with her eyes closed as she listened to him quickly retreat down the hall and heard the front door close a moment later. Sighing, she stood there for a moment, trying to compose herself.

"You okay?" The voice was Kelsey's, and when Liza opened her eyes, she saw her blonde friend standing in front of her, her face concerned.

"Uh, I don't know." Liza laughed shakily. "Josh just professed his love for me again and tried to kiss me."

"Yikes."

"No kidding. I told him that he needed to let me go and move on, but he just doesn't get it. Do you think you could try talking to him, Kels? He might listen to you."

Kelsey nodded, reaching out to rub Liza's arm. "Yeah, I'll try. But right now you need to get your booty back downstairs. It is your party, after all." She hooked her arm through Liza's and guided the birthday girl back downstairs to the party.

2 ½ hours later, Liza shut the door on Caitlin and Kelsey, who were the last to leave the party. She leaned her back against the door and kicked off her shoes, closing her eyes.

"Oof. Watch where you throw those things. You could take an eye out." She opened her eyes to see Charles holding one of her heels, standing a few feet away from her.

"I think my feet are going to fall off. I don't think I can walk."

Charles grinned, taking two quick strides to her and sweeping her up into his arms, bridal style. "Well, I'll just have to carry you around for the rest of the night."

Liza nuzzled her head into his chest as he carried her into the living room and deposited her onto the couch. "But it's present time." He waved a couple of boxes at her, smiling.

"Can I open them tomorrow?"

Charles chuckled, picking up a couple of small boxes and carrying them over to her. He handed them to her before sitting down next to her, lifting her feet to rest on his lap as he began to rub them. "How about just my gifts. Selfish, I know, but I want you to open them. Open the small one first."

"Baby, you didn't have to get me anything. This party was more than enough. You are more than enough." She leaned forward to kiss him before resting her back against a pillow. "But if you insist." She opened the smaller of the two boxes, pulling out a Tiffany blue box that was nestled into the tissue paper. Charles watched, smiling, as she opened it and her jaw dropped. Her eyes flashed towards him and back to the box as she pulled out the golden necklace.

"Charles, it's beautiful. But this is too much." She carefully lifted the necklace to eye level. It was stunning; a beautiful golden infinity symbol on a double strand of gold.

"My love for you is something that I will never run out of, Liza. You're the beginning and end of everything for me." Liza sat up and moved so that she was straddling Charles on the couch and leaned in to kiss him. God, he feels so good, she thought. She ran a hand through his hair as she searched his eyes. She couldn't even convey how much she loved him. It was like he was in her every pore, every nerve. She knew she would never, ever, be able to get enough of him.

"Open up your other present, love." He took the necklace from her hand and deposited it back into its box before handing her the other box. She could see his eyes sparkle as he handed it to her, and she tore the wrapping paper off of the box, lifting the lid.

"Oh my god. Is this what I think it is?" Liza leaned back, resting herself on his legs as she ran her hand gently over the leather-bound book.

"A first edition of A Moveable Feast. I know it's one of your favorites. It was part of my father's collection, and I want it to be yours."

"Charles, this is too much. This belongs to your family."

"That's why I'm giving it to you, Liza. You're my family now, don't you see that? You're my future." He wrapped his hands around her waist as she ran her fingers over the cover of the book. "My parents would have loved you. My grandparents too. I wish you could have met them."

"My parents would have loved you too. My mom, especially. She was an English teacher; she was the one that got me into books. You know, she met my dad at work. He was a gym teacher and she taught English at the same school. They drove to work together, every single day."

Charles smiled at the thought. "I like that idea. My father always said that the luckiest man in the world was a man who loved his job and who had a woman who loved him. I've got both, and I get to share them. I'm pretty damn lucky, Liza." He squeezed her hips and nodded down to the book in her hands. "Open it."

Liza lifted the front cover gently to find a white envelope inside. Glancing at Charles, she opened it carefully before gasping and glancing back up at him. "No. No way."

"Yes way." He chuckled at the look on her face.

"You're taking me to Europe? In three weeks?"

"I'm taking you to Greece. A week in Santorini. Just you and me and the ocean, baby."

"I've always wanted to go to Greece. How did you?"

"Maggie. She knows all. I already cleared it with Diana and Kelsey."

Liza examined the plane tickets again before sticking them back in the envelope. "I can't believe it."

"You better believe it. Now," he paused, glancing at his watch. "There's about 45 minutes left of your birthday. I think there's time for at least one more present." He squeezed Liza's waist and pulled her back to him, grinding against her suggestively. "I think it's time we take the party upstairs", he whispered huskily in her ear, his eyes darkening. Liza squealed and giggled as he stood, his hands wrapping around her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. It really was the best birthday she could remember. How could it not be, when she had everything she could ever want or need in her arms?


	31. Move On

AN: Thank you again to everyone who takes the time to review my story! This chapter is going to be a lot shorter than normal – it's basically just a filler between the last chapter and Charliza's trip to Greece, which will definitely be a much longer chapter. I'll hopefully get that one day within the next week!

"Josh kissed you? When?" Maggie sat up a little straighter on the couch, repeating Liza's words back to her. She wasn't surprised – she had seen the way Josh had been looking at her lately. The boy had it bad.

"Last night at the party. I ran into him upstairs and he basically begged me to leave Charles and come back to him. Ugh, Mags, what do I do?" She sighed, flopping her head back onto the couch.

"Did you tell Charles?"

Liza bit her lip and shook her head. She felt guilty that she hadn't told him yet, but she hadn't wanted to spoil the evening, and he had been in such a good mood this morning.

"I have to, don't I. It'll make it worse if I don't and he finds out later, right?"

"How would he possibly find out?"

"I just know he would. And I would feel guilty for not telling him. It's not like I kissed him back, or that I wanted Josh to kiss me. I did nothing wrong."

"If it's bothering you this bad, then maybe you should tell him. You'll give yourself an ulcer worrying about this. I know you. When's he coming over?"

Liza looked at the screen on her phone. "He should be here soon. Caitlin too. You still doing pizza and a movie with us tonight?"

"Yeah. I'll drag Caitlin out to go get the pizza when she gets here so you guys can talk." Maggie stood up and stretched, and Liza reached out to grab her hand.

"You're really amazing, you know that, right? I'm so lucky to have you as my best friend, Maggie."

Maggie shrugged and smirked. "I know. Remember that at Christmas."

"Liza, what's going on? You're acting all, I don't know, twitchy." Charles laughed as he flopped back onto Liza's bed. Liza was pacing back and forth, and had practically pushed him into the room after Caitlin and Maggie left to go get dinner.

"I need to tell you something." She paused, wringing out her hands as she walked back and forth in front of him. Charles propped himself up on his elbows, seeing how edgy she was. He reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her to him so that she stood between his knees.

"Liza, what's going on?" He repeated, sitting up.

"Uhh, okay. Last night at the party, I went upstairs to use the bathroom. And I ran into Josh. And he kissed me. Charles, I'm so sorry. It didn't mean anything, I swear."

"He kissed you."

"Yes. He asked me to leave you. He wants to get back together."

Charles felt the blood rushing to his head as he asked the next question. "Do you want to get back together with him?"

"No!" She knelt down in front of him and grabbed his hands. "I want to be with you. And I told him that. I just wanted you to know. I should have told you last night, but I didn't want to ruin things."

He looked down at her, at the concerned look on her face. Her beautiful brown eyes were full of anxiety. He reached down and rubbed her face with one of his hands. "You don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault. I mean, I kind of get it. You're pretty damn amazing. I can't imagine seeing you with someone else."

"You won't ever have to worry about that." Liza moved to sit next to him on the bed, and she let out a relieved sigh as she felt his arm snake around her and pull her close. She should have known that he wouldn't be upset, that his trust in her was implicit, but it was taking some getting used to. She had never before dated someone who was so collected, so levelheaded and mature. If Josh had seen her kissing someone else she knew he would have reacted angrily, with hostility. He never fully trusted her after he found out about her lie, even if he swore that he did. With Charles, it was an entirely different story.

"You know what I want?" Caitlin said quietly, a few hours later as the foursome sat on the couch. Caitlin was curled up next to Liza, her head resting on her mom's shoulder. Charles sat on Liza's other side, with Maggie on the end. She was smoking a joint lazily, and Liza had almost choked on her Diet Coke when she offered the half smoked blunt to Charles. That was a true sign of Maggie's approval – when she offered to share her weed, you knew you were in her good graces.

"Hmmmm?" Liza said sleepily.

"Ice cream. Mint chocolate chip. And rocky road."

"Maggie, do we have any ice cream?"

"Nada. We polished it off with Kelsey and Lauren last week, member?"

"Shoot." She looked over at Charles, nudging him with her elbow. "Hey." She put on her best flirtatious smile when he rolled his head towards her, an amused look on his face.

"You don't even have to ask, babe. I'll go." He stood and stretched, the bottom hem of his shirt lifting to reveal an inch of his stomach. Liza could see the edge of his black boxers sticking out of the top of his jeans. She flashed her eyes up at him and licked her lips. She'd reward him later. Maybe she'd even let him lick some ice cream off of her. They both laughed as Maggie lost her balance when he stood, leaning over to fall against Liza. Between the weed and the wine, she was baked.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers before heading to the door. Charles stopped at the front door to turn and look at the three woman on the couch. 6 months ago he never would have imagined that this is how he would be spending his weekend. Relaxing on the couch in his girlfriend's Williamsburg loft, with her 19 year old daughter and her stoned best friend. Life could change so fast, but he couldn't imagine a better one.

He located a corner store a few blocks away that was mercifully stocked with both mint chip and rocky road. He grabbed a few pints of each, a six pack for himself, and a 3 Musketeers bar. They were Liza's favorite. He paid the clerk and headed back down the block, deciding on a whim to take a different route back to the apartment. He paused a block away from the apartment, outside a different building. "Inkburg" He read. Josh's tattoo shop. The sign on the door said closed, but the lights were still on.

Before he could stop himself, he pushed against the door, which opened quietly, a bell tinkling above him.

"Sorry, we're closed. Come back tomorrow." Josh's voice called from the back. Charles didn't say anything, and a moment later Josh emerged from a back room.

"Oh. It's you. What do you want?"

"Excellent customer service. Really. Top notch." He knew he shouldn't provoke this asshole, but he had had enough. Liza telling him what had happened last night had pushed him over the edge.

"Get out of my shop."

"No. I've got something to say to you first. You have some nerve, you know, coming into my house and acting like you did last night."

"I have no clue what you're talking about." The smug look on his face said otherwise, and Charles was tempted to punch it right off his face.

"Liza told me about what happened last night."

"Oh, about how she kissed me?"

"A likely story." Charles hissed, sarcastically. "No, about how you threw yourself at her and kissed her and begged her to take you back. Pathetic, man. Did you think she wouldn't tell me? We tell each other everything."

Josh rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure. How many times did you sleep with her before she got around to telling you that's she's not a 26 year old?" He crossed his arms over his chest, sure that he was triumphant.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we never crossed that line until I knew everything about her. What Liza and I have is completely different than what you had. Emphasis on that last word, by the way. She's not yours to kiss anymore, Josh. You need to move on."

He turned to leave, but Josh spoke again. "She still loves me, you know."

Charles nodded. "Yeah, she does. But she's not in love with you. She's in love with me. And neither of us plans on changing that anytime soon. Liza broke up with you because she couldn't see a future with you. She has a future with me."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

Charles breathed in deeply and crossed the room so that he was standing in front of Josh, towering over him. "Listen, if I find out that you touched Liza again, I promise I will come back here and my next visit will not be as cordial as this one. Get over it, Josh, and move on. You and Liza are over. How many times do we have to tell you that for you to get it? I'm the one with Liza now. I'm the one sleeping with her. The one taking her to Europe in two weeks. The one that is probably going to marry her one day, if that's what she wants. The one that is leaving this crappy little shop and taking pints of ice cream back to Maggie's loft for Liza and Maggie and Caitlin to share. Me. Good night, Josh."

He strode back across the room, making sure to slam the door behind him as he stepped back out into the cool evening. He had done what he had to do. He only hoped that Liza would feel the same way.


	32. Santorini: Part One

"You sure you have everything you need?" Maggie leaned against the doorway to Liza's bedroom, watching her best friend triumphantly close her suitcase, releasing the zipper with a satisfied yelp. "Did you leave any clothing here?" She chuckled.

"I just want to be prepared." Liza sat her two suitcases down on the floor by the door and flipped through her carry on. She had her passport, all her id's, money, phone, etc.. She also had a two page list of things to make sure she had with her, and she had gone through it twice.

"You know," Maggie started, rolling Liza's two suitcases out to the living room. "You could just go naked the entire time. It'd save you having to carry these things around."

"I could get behind that idea." Charles closed the front door behind him, grinning back at Maggie.

Liza stuck her head out of the bedroom door. "You two are spending way too much time together. Did you get the girls dropped off okay?"

"Yeah. It was a little rough. There were tears."

"Yours or theirs?" Liza arched an eyebrow at him, slightly amused.

"Mine." He said sheepishly. "But Pauline is happy to have them for a week. She's taking them to the Poconos with her parents for a little vacation next week. I promised we'd video chat them a couple of times. You all set?" He wheeled her suitcases over to the front door as she surveyed her room for one last time. She couldn't think of anything she was missing, and smiled as she closed the door.

Maggie came over and hugged her tightly, kissing her on the cheek. "Have fun. Be safe. Drink way too much and have a lot of hot dirty vacation sex, okay?" Liza rolled her eyes, but Charles came over to give Maggie a hug. "That's the plan." He whispered loudly in her ear, and they all broke out laughing.

"She's a bad influence on you. Or you on her. I'm not quite sure." Liza shook her head, laughing. "I'll text you when we land at Heathrow, okay?" She leaned in for another hug, squeezing tight.

"Fly safe, you two. And have fun. Now get out." She waved them out the door, watching as Charles picked up Liza's bags and carried them downstairs and out of sight. Liza paused at the top of the steps, turning to wink and blow a kiss at her best friend. And they were off.

Somewhere halfway over the Atlantic Liza awoke with a start. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the dimmed cabin light. A quick glance at the watch on Charles's wrist showed that it was about 1 A.M. EST. She turned her head to look at Charles, who was sleeping soundly next to her. He had surprised her again with first class tickets, and they were comfortably ensconced in a two person pod on the British Airways flight. By her calculations, they should land at Heathrow in about 3 hours, and only had a brief layover before boarding their final flight that would take them directly into Santorini.

She leaned her head back, gazing at Charles's serene face. He had a boyish look about him when he slept, his hair slightly mussed, his arm tucked up underneath him. She wondered what he was dreaming about. Her, possibly? She smiled at the thought.

The two weeks since her birthday had been mostly good, but they had had their first real fight the Sunday after her birthday. He had confessed to her over coffee that he had confronted Josh in his shop the night before, had warned him to stay away from Liza. She knew that he had been more upset about the kiss than he had let on, and had accused him of closing himself off, something she knew he did when he was upset. She had told him that she could handle Josh on her own, that she didn't need him stepping in on her behalf. She wasn't anyone's property, and she didn't need the two of them playing tug of war with her. She had taken off, claiming that Caitlin needed her to help pack up her stuff as she was leaving for Vassar later the next week. He didn't text or call her all day, but had been sitting on the apartment steps when she finally returned late in the evening. He had apologized, but insisted he would do the same thing time and time again, if he had to. He loved her, and he was going to protect her, defend her, whether she wanted him to or not. He knew she could handle herself, but that didn't mean that he would sit on the sidelines and let people take advantage of her. She had promised she would sit down with Josh after they returned from vacation and make it crystal clear to him that she only wanted to be friends, and if he couldn't promise to respect that, that she couldn't be in his life.

Liza reached down and spread out the blanket that was laying at the end of the bed, doing her best to cover both her and Charles. His feet still stuck out, as did hers. Their accommodations were luxurious in comparison to any flight she had ever taken before, but these pods definitely weren't meant for the tall. Smiling, she turned on her side and nuzzled herself against Charles, sighing contentedly as she felt his arm wrap protectively around her, even as he slept, like it was a reflex for him. Just like it was a reflex for her to tuck herself into his shoulder, resting her head just underneath his. They fit together like yin and yang. Like two pieces of a puzzle that had finally come together.

12 hours and one layover later, Charles and Liza stepped off of the plane onto the tarmac at the Santorini Airport. Liza squinted out into the distance, turning to take in the ocean behind them. Everything was so blue, so bright, that it took her eyes a moment to adjust. Charles had already slipped his Ray Bans onto his eyes and held Liza's sunglasses out to her, having fished them out of her carry on while she took in the landscape around them.

"Ready, my love?" He reached out to take her hand, feeling a sense of excitement come over him as she slipped her hand into his. Things had been a little tense between them since the whole Josh debacle. They had argued about it, and Liza had promised to put her foot down with Josh. He could tell that she didn't want to confront him, but she needed to. They couldn't properly move forward together if she was still dealing with an ex who couldn't get over her. They hadn't spoken about it since, but it still bothered him. He admitted to himself that he had maybe gone a little overboard with Liza's birthday, but it was the first of either of their birthdays that they were spending together, and he had wanted it to be special. And he thought they needed this trip. Just the two of them, no worries, no work, no kids, for an entire week. It was going to be fantastic.

They made their way through airport, easing through customs and collecting their luggage before heading outside to the parking lot, where a younger man was leaning against an idling SUV and holding a sign with 'Brooks' written across the front. He jumped to his feet when they crossed over to him. He couldn't be more than 19 or 20, Liza thought, shaking his hand as he introduced himself as Nikola.

"So," Liza said to Charles as they climbed in the back of the SUV, "are you going to tell me where exactly we are going? I'd like to know where to tell Maggie to look if I go missing and someone needs to find my body."

Charles chuckled, wrapping his arm around her and leaning over to kiss her forehead. "You'll find out in about 10 minutes. I promise you won't be disappointed." They fell silent for the next few minutes as Nikola navigated the narrow roads, chattering away in mixed English, pointing out different places along the route. The roads got narrower as they climbed uphill into the more populated area, the road winding back and forth, Nikola taking the sharp corners with the finely honed expertise of a native.

The SUV pulled up to stop in front of the steps of a whitewashed building. "The Volcano View Hotel", Liza read as she stepped out and looked up at the sign. Nikola unloaded the bags for them and carried them up the steps, Liza and Charles following, hand in hand. Liza felt giddy, the jetlag wearing off as the realization that they had finally made it settled in. Charles squeezed her hand, grinning at the excited look on her face.

He slipped a few bills to Nikola as they stepped into the reception area. The young man passed him a card with his contact information on it, telling him to call him if they needed a driver at all for the rest of the week.

"Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, welcome to the Volcano View Hotel." A carefully made up receptionist stood to greet them. Liza felt a little thrill when the girl assumed they were married, and looked up at Charles with a smirk when he didn't correct her. She handed them two key cards and waved over a bellboy, who took their bags and loaded them onto a hopper. "You're in one of our Grand Suites on Floor 3. Here's a list of some of the amenities that are offered within the hotel. You'll find menus for our in house restaurant and bar in your room, as well as a menu for the spa. My name is Amira, and my direct line here is also listed in your room. If you need anything at all, please feel free to reach out." She looked at Charles directly as she said this, batting her dark eyelashes. Oblivious, Charles smiled politely and passed Liza a keycard. He really had no idea the affect he had on women, Liza thought, as she slipped her arm through his with a pointed look at Amira as they followed their bellboy onto the elevator.

"She liked you." Liza commented as the elevator doors closed. Charles wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to him so that her back rested against his chest. Leaning down, he nuzzled her neck, murmuring in her ear. "Well, why don't you tell her that divorced moms from New Jersey are more my style?" She grinned, a shiver going down her spine as she felt his breath on her neck. The hotel was air conditioned, but she suddenly felt very warm. The elevator doors sprung open onto the third floor, and they followed the bellboy down the hall.

"Ladies first" Charles gestured to her to open the door to the room. They were met with blast of cool air as she pushed the door open and practically skipped into the room.

"Oh my god. This is amazing!" She spun around the room, opening doors into the bathroom and the lounge area as Charles tipped the busboy and set their suitcases in the corner. He heard an audible gasp come from her as she opened the doors out onto the balcony. He stepped out behind her, taking in the view. It was ocean and sky as far as you could see, the two shades of crystalline blue meeting on the horizon. It was spectacular view of the Caldera, and the look on Liza's face told him that it was worth every penny he had spent. She turned to him, placing her hands on his chest and leaning in to plant a searing kiss on his lips. "I can't believe you did this for me."

Charles slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her flush against him. "You better believe it." He leaned down to kiss her again, all the tension and frustration he had been feeling dissipating into the 85 degree air.

Liza pulled away and walked back into the room, pushing open the curtains so that they could see the panoramic view of the Caldera and flopping onto the bed, sighing contentedly. She knew she should feel tired, but they had both slept quite a bit on the flights, and she wasn't really feeling the typical jetlag. She propped herself up on her elbows as she watched Charles pull some clothes and a toiletries bag out of his suitcase before stripping off his shirt.

"Whatchya doing?" She asked him playfully, nudging his leg with her toe. He catches her foot with his hand, pulling her to the edge of the bed while running his hand from her foot to the outside of her thigh. Liza sighs, closing her eyes for a moment, but they fly open as she feels his hand wrap around her wrist and pull her up to him.

"We're taking a shower." He leans down and kisses her neck before pulling back, his eyes dark, his face filled with desire.

"If you insist." Liza swallows hard, responding in a low whisper. Charles grabs her hand, pulling her into the bathroom, stopping them outside the glass shower door, reaching in to turn on the water.

"Get in there." He instructs her, pulling her shirt off for her and tossing it to the floor while reaching behind her to unfasten her bra. Quickly she slides her pants and underwear off and steps into the shower. She closes her eyes for a moment, letting the warm water run over her. Liza opens her eyes, just in time to see him slip off his black boxer briefs and step into the shower with her. What a sight to behold, she thinks, as she steps backward to allow the shower heat to spray him with droplets of water that do nothing but accentuate his strong, broad shoulders. The water glistens on his skin and trickles down his chest. Liza tries not to watch the droplets that are traveling down his chest, across his abdomen, but she can't help but let her eyes flick downward. A splash of water hits her face and she is shaken out of her train of thought.

"What are you thinking about, pretty girl?" He reaches up brush a strand of wet hair off of her forehead. Liza answers him by reaching up and pulling his head down into a soft, sensual kiss. Charles reaches down and easily picks her up, stepping forward and placing her against the shower wall as she wraps her legs around his hips. He trails kisses over her face and neck, his heart warming as he hears her giggle and toss her head back, trying to not get water in her eyes. He feels her place her hand on his face, guiding his lips to hers. The soft kiss awakens something in him, and he deepens it, consumed by a hunger for her. He needs her, and his arms grip her tighter as he presses her even harder against the stone wall of the shower. Her arms are around his neck as his lips melt into one and her tongue searches out his. Liza nips at his bottom lip with her teeth, encourages by the moan escaping deep from within Charles as he pushes against her again. She can feel him between her legs and an equally hungry moan escapes her.

Charles wills himself to slow down, lowering Liza to her own two feet. He plants another kiss on her lips before moving down her body, his teeth grazing her collarbone. He gently places soft kisses all over her breasts before getting on his knees, his mouth running all over her abdomen before lowering to the apex of her thighs. Liza cries out as she feels him, gripping his shoulder with one hand to keep from losing her balance and placing her other hand on the shower wall for support, arching her hips toward him, silently begging him not to stop.

"Baby, please…" She trails off, moaning in pleasure.

He pulls away from her for second, pausing to look up at her. He loves to see her come undone. "Shhhh….we're going to take it slow. Let me enjoy this view." He kisses her stomach, just above her bellybutton before lowering his head and continuing his ministrations on her until she cries out his name when he brings her over the edge.

She gasps as she feels him move suddenly, covering her right breast with his mouth. She moans as she feels his hands slide behind her and onto her ass, massaging and squeezing. Liza leans into him, gripping his bicep as she looks into his eyes. She feels one hand move to the front, sliding between her parted thighs. He trails his fingers over her, teasing her, as she bites her lip and closes her eyes. She moans as his fingers continue to search her. She can barely keep her knees from collapsing. She cries out his name again as he removes his hand and leans in to kiss her.

Liza rolls her head back, trying to regain her composure. Breathing heavily, she turns on the spot, pushing Charles back against the wall. Leaning in, she whispers in his ear "My turn" in a husky voice, and slides down onto her knees.

Before he can say anything, Liza wraps a hand around him, guiding him into her mouth. A moan escapes his lips and he leans his head back against the shower wall and closing his eyes, reaching out with one hand to grasp onto the built in shelf in the shower. He groans as he feels her take her tongue and trace him slowly, from base to tip. She uses her tongue to draw circles all over him, repeatedly. Charles can barely contain himself, and Liza smiles to herself as she hears him moaning, half spoken profanity escaping his lips. Profanity she only ever hears him use in the bedroom. She loves that she is the only one that gets to see him in such a state.

Liza responded to the noises he is emitting by forming a tight grip around him with her lips, moving her head back and forth and taking him deeper with each nod of her head. Charles reaches down with one hand, his fingers tangling in her mane of wet hair, causing her to take him in even deeper and faster. Liza braces herself against him using her hand on his thigh to slow his movements as she feels him start to tense and stiffen.

"Oh, fuck, Liza." He groans, rolling his head back as he releases, pulling himself out of her mouth. He reaches down to pull her back up to him, the pair both sighing contentedly. Liza pulls them back under the water so that they can rinse themselves off before reaching back to turn off the water.

Charles rests his head on her shoulder, whispering in her ear. "You're amazing, you know that?" Liza smiles to herself. She truly does love pleasing him. She loves the warm afterglow she gets when she sees him so satisfied, so uninhibited, so happy. He gets this boyish smile, the one where his dimples show, and she loves knowing that she is the reason behind it.

Charles grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist before reaching for a towel for Liza to wrap herself in. Liza looks back up at him after wrapping herself in the towel, giggling when she still sees that he is smiling.

"Are you laughing at me?" He tries to look stern, but fails miserably, which causes Liza to start giggling again. Charles breaks out into a grin, picking her up and crying her out of the bathroom, with her still giggling and squealing in his arms.

Needless to say, Charles and Liza didn't make it out of their suite their first night in Santorini. They spent their first few hours on the steamy Greek island in bed, making slow lazy love for several hours. They ordered a bottle of wine and a charcuterie board and settled onto the chaise lounge on the balcony, watching the sunset. It was the most magnificent sunset that Liza had ever seen, the rainbow of colors reflecting off of the ocean.

She had been mildly surprised when Charles had slipped out from his spot behind her, disappearing into their room for a moment before returning with a fancy black Canon camera she had never seen before and snapped several pictures of the landscape around them before turning the camera on Liza. She was even more surprised when he had told her that he was interested in photography, and was trying to get back into the habit. He had apparently taken a few photography classes at Princeton, but had never had much time for it after he began working for his father. They sat outside talking about their college years until the sky was black and glittering with stars, discussing their friends, their professors, the classes they loved and the ones they had despised, musing on what would have happened if they had met in college. It felt like a lifetime ago, for both of them. They finished off the wine and returned to their bed, their bodies joining a few more times before falling into a deep sleep in each other's arms.

***Part 2 coming very soon! I was going to publish their trip as one long chapter, but decided to break it up. Enjoy! Review appreciated, as always!


	33. Santorini: Part 2

AN: Lost a little steam writing this chapter, so apologies if it's shorter than expected. I've got all sorts of ideas for how the rest of the story is going to go, and I think that, on top of all the S6 hype has got me totally distracted. But enjoy, and, as always, review are appreciated! 😊

Liza awoke slowly the next morning, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the bright light streaming through the window. The bed was elevated on a platform, giving her an unobstructed view of the glistening water outside. A glimpse at the clock on the bedside table told her that it was 7:30 in the morning. She rolled over, expecting to curl back up into Charles, but was met with an empty bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and looked around, catching sight of a folded piece of hotel stationary sitting on his abandoned pillow.

_Woke up early and didn't want to wake you, my sleeping beauty. Went for a jog. I'll be back soon, love._

Liza smiled, letting her head fall back onto her pillow. She had absolutely no idea what he had planned for them today, having given up on her questioning him about a week and a half ago. If he was anyone else, she thought, she would be incredibly nervous about the lack of information, but he wasn't anyone else and she had absolute faith that he had planned out this trip carefully. Even if Charles hadn't planned any activities for them, she would be more than happy to spend the next week ensconced in their hotel room.

Deciding to be productive rather than fall back asleep, she slipped out of bed, padding across the tile floor to her luggage. She spent the next few minutes unpacking, taking their clothes out and hanging them in the closet and laying out their toiletries in the bathroom. Charles had brought an iPad and his cell phone with him so that they could video chat with the girls, and Liza plugged both in to charge. She sent a quick email to Maggie, attaching a few pictures she had taken of the view outside of their room and letting her know that they were safe and sound. Charles still hadn't returned by the time she finished up her email, so she jumped in the shower to freshen up, feeling herself flush as she remembered their activities of the night before.

"Good Morning, beautiful."

Liza yelped, almost dropping her towel as she stepped back into the bedroom. Turning, she saw Charles closing the hotel room door and kicking off his sneakers.

"Jesus, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" He took a couple strides towards her, leaning down to kiss her. "Am I forgiven?"

"I suppose. Especially if you're carrying breakfast on that tray in your hand." Her eyes flickered over to the covered plate in his hand.

"I guess I am. I made a pit stop on my way back up." He lifted the cover, laughing as Liza grabbed the plate from him and sat on the edge of the bed, digging into a dish of fruit.

"You're my favorite person ever."

"Ditto." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and grabbed a strawberry from the dish and walking into the bathroom to turn the shower on. He had taken a quick jog through the area around the hotel, scoping out restaurants and cafes and other places he thought might be fun to go, and despite the early hour the temperature quickly had him drenched in sweat.

"So, what's on the agenda for today? If I'm going to get dressed at some point, I should probably know what to wear."

He stuck his head back into the room. "I like the towel look. Very minimal."

She stuck her tongue out at him and threw a berry at him, which he caught in his mouth. "Charles. Seriously, I need a hint."

"We're getting picked up in…" He paused, glancing at the clock, "about an hour. I booked us on a catamaran cruise. Swimming, scuba diving, that kind of stuff."

"That sounds awesome. Especially getting to see you without a shirt all day long." She stood, walking over to where he stood shirtless in the doorway. She leaned into him, pulling him down into a searing kiss. She reached down with her other hand and pulled her towel loose, pressing it into his chest. "You better hurry up or there won't be any warm water left." She whispered to him, her eyes twinkling as she stepped backwards away from the door. This was going to be fun.

"Wow." Liza was speechless as Charles helped her up onto the boat. Not a boat, more a yacht than anything else. It was glistening white, bobbing up and down steadily in the aqua blue water. David's boat looked like a pile of scrap in comparison to this.

The next 5 hours were pure bliss for Liza and Charles. There were 3 other couples who joined them on the tour, but the only ones that spoke English were an adorable older Irish couple that Liza was instantly enamored with. She bantered with the husband, Timothy, about Irish literature and blushed when the wife, Rosalie, asked if they were on their honeymoon. They were well into their seventies but had jumped into the water to swim to the hot springs with surprising agility. Charles and Liza followed close behind but quickly overtook the rest of the group with their long limbs.

Liza pulled herself out of the water for a few minutes, perching on a rock and letting the sun rays soak into her skin as she watched Charles swim through the water, his long arms cutting through the water liked knives. Every time he rose up out of the water his torso glistened, and Liza had the perfect view to admire it. He had decided not to keep up with usually strict shaving regime, opting to let his stubble grow out, and Liza thought that he looked even sexier with the facial hair, if that was possible. He was the most handsome man she had ever met, and she couldn't believe that he was all hers.

They returned to the boat and joined their new Irish friends for lunch before curling up together on a lounge chair partially covered by a canopy. Charles wrapped his arms around Liza, loving how happy and sun kissed she looked. He leaned down, kissing her shoulder as she leaned against him.

"What do you think so far?"

"I love it. I think I could stay here forever." Liza replied sleepily.

"Yeah, it's pretty perfect. But I'm pretty sure I would think that anywhere, as long as you were with me."

Liza turned her head up and looked at him, her heart full of love. She was so lucky. She didn't think that there was any way that she could love him anymore, but he was continuing to surprise her. "I love you, Charles Brooks." She whispered, grazing his lips lightly with her.

"I love you too." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter to him. He never wanted to let her go, and he hoped he'd never have to.

They returned to the hotel a few hours later, exhausted from an afternoon of swimming, scuba diving and drinking lots of wine. Charles had stumbled a bit getting off the boat and was leaning heavily on Liza as they made their way down the hallway to their hotel room. Liza pulled her keycard out, struggling to get the door open as Charles pawed at her playfully and couldn't help but laugh as he ran into the doorframe trying to walk into the room. He had indulged in several glasses of wine and a few cocktails before a crew member had offered them some ice cold limoncello, which they had sampled repeatedly. It occurred to her that she had never really seen Charles inebriated before, and it was quite amusing.

He landed on the bed, sighing contentedly as Liza slipped off her shoes and emptied her tote bag. She pulled out her camera and slipped the memory card into the adapter she had brought with her. She was bound and determined to photograph the heck out of this trip and wanted to send some of their pictures to Maggie. Pressing a few buttons, she started to upload the pictures to the iPad like Caitlin had shown her last week. She smiled, satisfied at her technical abilities and turned to glance back at Charles, only to find him fast asleep, his head resting on the fluffy white pillow.

She rose quietly and walked to him, running her hand through his hair. He looked so peaceful when he slept. She loved waking up before him and watching him sleep. So steady, so peaceful, so resolute. He was charming, even in sleep.

Charles awoke a few hours later to a darkened room. Only the lamp on the bedside table was lit, the warm light casting a sensual glow over the room. His eyes fell on Liza's sleeping form beside him and in the soft, amber lamplight, he could remember nothing in his life that looked quite as beautiful. She lay upon her back, the white sheet pulled over her breasts, but her shoulders were exposed to his view. Her right arm lay above her head, resting on a pillow of chestnut hair, gleaming with golden highlights. The strap of her chemise had slipped off her shoulder, leaving it bare. He watched her shift in her sleep, wanting to reach out and touch her but not wanting to wake her.

Liza turned on her side, pulling the sheet to the long, lean curves of her body. Charles let his eyes trace every inch of her sleeping form, in awe of her. He couldn't remember wanting anyone or anything as much as he wanted Liza, and how it was a miracle that she was his, all his. He needed her, exactly the same way he needed food, air or water. Like he wasn't fully him if he didn't have her. He rose quietly, slipping off his shoes and shirt before sitting back down on the edge of the mattress, his fingers moving to touch her hair, breathing in the scent of coconut, vanilla, and something he thought was sunscreen. Her eyes flickered open, looking up at him in a half sleep, making her look all the more seductive. Her tongue flickered across her lips, moistening them, and she swallowed, for a moment appearing to fall back asleep. Charles watched as she gently rolled to her back, opening her brown eyes to meet his. For a long moment they sat there, his hand still running through her hair as they looked at one another, letting their mutual desire take hold.

Liza raised her arm, her fingers tracing his jawline before his hand joined hers, moving her fingers to his lips in a kiss as his other hand moved from her hair to her face. He let his hand slide across her cheek, passing over the sensitive skin of her ear and neck, one of his favorite places to kiss her. He moved toward her, gently lowering his lips to hers, feeling them soften and respond warmly. He felt as Liza moved her hands to his exposed chest, gently raking her nails across his torso before wrapping around his neck and into his hair.

He needed no other encouragement, moving from his sitting position to stretch out across the bed, resting his weight on one elbow and drawing her full length to him as Liza moved her hands over his bare back. He pressed his lips to hers again, his tongue sliding into her parted mouth and entwining with hers. Her breath quickened, stirring something deep inside of him. She moved against him, a small sigh escaping her lips as he leaned down to nip gently at her ear, his hands moving slowly down the length of her, setting her skin on fire. His lips traveled over her face, moving down to her neck, to her breasts as her hands explored his body, adding fuel to the fire.

He rose again, moving his body to cover hers, Liza's legs parting willingly for him and wrapping around his waist, pulling him to her. Her lips sought his, her tongue sliding into his mouth as he pressed against her, into her, losing himself in her in his entirety.

The rest of the week carried on as perfectly as could be imagined. Charles and Liza spent their days exploring the island, hiking scenic vistas, touring magnificent wineries, swimming in the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea. They ate and drank until they thought they would burst and spent their nights making slow, passionate love to one another. On Wednesday, they traveled to Oia, spending half the day at Atlantis Books, which they agreed was probably the most uniquely magnificent bookstores either of them had ever encountered. Charles had spent an hour conversing with the shop owner, who was thrilled to have the CEO of a publishing house in his midst. Liza had giggled, amused, as the squat man had pulled Charles around the shop, pointing out Empirical titles here and there. They had come away with some cool finds, including a first edition of Alice in Wonderland, which Charles intended to give to Nicole for her birthday in October.

It was the best trip either of them had ever been on and come Saturday morning they were both reluctant to rise and prepare for the return trip. Their flight out of Santorini left at 9:30, with them landing at JFK at 8 in the evening after layovers in Venice and Dusseldorf. Their moods picked up as they got closer to New York City, closer to their kids, and when they finally landed, they made their way through the airport quickly until they were stalled waiting for their baggage.

Liza took the few minutes while Charles waited for the last of her luggage to pull their phones out of her carry on, powering them on for the first time since the plane had left Santorini. Almost simultaneously both phones started buzzing, overloaded with texts, emails and notifications.

Charles pulled the final bag off the conveyor belt and turned back towards Liza. She stood, mouth agape, staring at something on her phone. She looked up at him, slowly, her eyes full of something that sent chills through Charles. Something was wrong. Very wrong.


	34. Scandal

_Moore Misconduct: Crown of Kings Creator Faces Multiple Harassment Claims_

_Moore No More: Netflix & Amazon Cut Ties with Edward LL Moore After Claims of Sexual Misconduct_

_#MeToo, Moore! Over a Dozen Women Come Forward with Misconduct Claims Against World Renowned Author_

_Beware the Wrath of the Sky: Moore's Princesses Speak Out on Misconduct Claims_

The headlines were coming fast and furious, and apparently had been for the past few hours. FOX News had broken the story about 8 hours ago, when Charles and Liza were somewhere over Western Europe. The minute that Liza had turned their phones back on, they were both flooded with texts, calls and emails from Kelsey, Diana, Zane, Redmond, the Empirical lawyers, and about a hundred others. They had raced out of the airport as fast as they could, thankful that they had arranged for a car to pick them up from the airport.

They had barely buckled their seatbelts when Liza's phone rang, Kelsey's name popping up on the screen. Liza put her on speakerphone as the pulled away from the airport curb.

"Hey, Kelsey. We just saw."

"Did you guys just land? We've been trying to get ahold of you for hours."

Charles leaned forward. "We had our phones off. Listen, Kelsey, can you and Diana and Zane meet us at my house in about, say, an hour and a half. We're just leaving the airport now."

"We're all here at the office."

Charles sighed, shaking his head. "Just come to the house. Liza and I need to offload our luggage and freshen up. And I'll bet you that there's probably a team of reporters outside the office. It's where people will expect us to be, where they will expect Moore might show up. So no, we're not coming to the office. Meet us at the house." He disconnected before she could respond, leaning back against the seat and sighing.

"This is a disaster."

"We'll figure it out, Charles. You always figure it out." Liza reached over and rested her hand on his leg, trying to calm his nerves. She hated seeing him like this, in distress.

"It's not that simple, Liza. Zane's been working with him on a new series. We've kept it under lock and key for a couple of months but we were going to announce it next week. If we lose Moore, it's a hit. A big hit. Financially, Empirical probably can't survive without him."

"I didn't realize. I'm sorry Charles." Liza leaned into him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. It was her turn to be strong for him now.

Liza had just stepped out of the shower when she heard the doorbell, followed by the sounds of Charles greeting Bob. He had called his friend, his trusted lawyer, after getting off the phone with Kelsey. He wasn't technically part of the Empirical legal team, but he was Charles's most trusted friend, his personal attorney, and consulted on business for him often. He trusted Bob to lay out their options.

Charles had jumped in the shower as soon as they had gotten home, taking a few minutes to freshen up and clear his mind while Liza made a pot of coffee and unpacked a few items. Liza toweled off and dried her hair, throwing it up into a messy bun and slipping into the first clean clothes she could find, leggings and Charles's well worn Yankee's t shirt. She loved how it always smelled faintly of him, even when freshly washed. She spritzed on some perfume, slipped on a pair of sandals, and headed downstairs.

"Liza! Beautiful as always. It's good to see you, even though I wish it was under better circumstances." Bob rose to give her a quick hug before sitting back down at the dining table. Charles came back in, holding two glasses of scotch, setting one down in front of Bob.

"Do you want anything, Liza?" Even when he was stressed, he was a perfect gentleman.

"No. You sit. I'm going to get a glass of water. Kelsey just texted and said they would be here in a couple of minutes. I'll let them in." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, her lips grazing the substantial stubble that had started to fill in his face.

She stepped into the kitchen and turned on the water, leaning against the sink. Her head was absolutely swimming with thoughts, and the jet lag was definitely kicking in. Changing her mind, she turned off the water and grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet. She leaned against the countertop and closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of the hot liquid. She smiled as she remembered the first morning she had sat in this kitchen, drinking coffee with Charles. She had come downstairs expecting a complicated espresso machine, or at the very least a fancy French press, but had been surprised to see a plain old carafe coffee maker. Maggie liked her coffee strong and expensive, but Liza had lived on Folger's from a plastic container for the past 20 years.

She remembered leaning against the counter waiting for the coffee to brew. Charles had snuck up on her, wrapping his hands around her waist and kissing her neck before lifting her up onto the counter. They had laughed and kissed and acted like teenagers in love. She couldn't believe that it had only been a few months ago. It felt like a lifetime.

A sharp knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie. She padded across the hardwood floor, opening the door to Diana, Kelsey and Zane.

"Liza, welcome back." Diana smiled tightly at her and brushed past her, shrugging off her coat as Kelsey stepped in. Diana and Zane were both dressed for the boardroom, but Kelsey wore jeans and a t-shirt, making Liza feel slightly more at ease in her leggings and oversized shirt.

"I'm so glad you're back! I missed you. And look how tan you are!" Kelsey wrapped her arms around Liza, hugging her tightly. "Those two are driving me fucking insane." She whispered in her ear before pulling away.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Kelsey. Liza, where are…?"

Liza cut Diana off, pointing towards the dining room. "Charles and Bob are in the dining room. He just got here a few minutes ago."

Diana spun on her heel and walked in the direction of the dining room, the other 3 following behind her. Liza squeezed Charles's shoulder as they sat back down, taking the seat across from him.

Liza sat quietly for a few minutes, listening to the rest of the group. The allegations against Moore were varied, coming from character actresses to bookstore clerks to fans. Inappropriate comments, groping and everything in between. It was overwhelming, and Liza felt her stomach churn as she read through some of the statements spread out on the table in front of them. When Zane suggested that they hold off on dropping Edward as an author, that they investigate the validity of the claims, Liza couldn't help but scoff.

"What do you think, Liza?" Charles asked quietly, leaning across the table towards her.

"I think he's a perverted old man that uses his power to exploit the women around him. He's disgusting. We should care more about the women that he abused than our bottom line." She shot an annoyed glare down the table at Zane.

"So you believe all of these women? Women you've never met, never spoken to?" Zane challenged her.

"Yes, I do. I don't doubt any of these allegations. He's said similar things to me." She redirected her glare back to Charles. "You've heard the things he has said to me, Charles. He tried to get me to come back to his hotel room after the last book release. Had me parade around in that fur bikini. Leered at me. So no, Zane, I don't doubt it. He's wildly inappropriate."

Zane started to retort, but Charles cut him off, his voice stern. "Liza's right, Zane. I'm ashamed to admit that I've been aware of his behavior. I think we all are, if we're being honest. We just wanted to turn a blind eye to it because he's a cash cow for Empirical. But we can't walk this back."

"That's fine, Charles, but I think you need to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons."

"What the hell does that mean, Zane?"

"That you're doing this because you legitimately believe what these women are saying, not because your girlfriend is asking you to." He leaned in, looking down the table at Charles and Liza, who both glared at him. "Listen, I'm not saying that's what's happening here, but it's the elephant in the room, isn't it?"

"I agree that we need to discuss any possible statement that you may make, Liza." Bob clasped his hands, resting them on the table in front of him.

"I don't plan on making a statement!" Liza protested. "I think he needs to be held accountable for his actions, but I don't think I need to throw my name into the mix. Besides, if his team starts digging, there's things about me that aren't public that would be made public." An awkward pause fell over the table for a moment, interrupted by the harsh sound of a ringing cell phone.

Charles reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Edward's name flashed across the screen as the phone vibrated in his hand. He put his finger up to his lips and answered the phone on speaker.

"Yes?"

"Charles!" Moore's voice boomed. He was angry. "I've been trying to reach you all day. You're ignoring my calls?"

"My apologies, Edward. I was on a flight. I just got back a little bit ago."

"This is a witch hunt. I'm being tried in the public square!"

Diana rolled her eyes dramatically, and Liza could see that she was doing everything in her power to keep from interjecting.

"Edward, I'm sorry, but we're all being held accountable here."

"After all our years together, you at least owe me a meeting."

"I'm happy to meet with you anytime."

"Your office, tonight. I think you'll be very surprised by what I have to tell you."

"I'm on my way, Edward. I'll meet you there." He disconnected the call, slipping the phone back into his pocket.

"Charles, do you want me to accompany you?"

"No, Diana, I think it's better if I talk to him one on one. We're letting him go. That's my final decision."

Liza watched as he stood. She could see the tiredness in his eyes, in his face, and just wanted to pull him into her arms. She hated that this was the way that their vacation was ending. She stood quietly, filing out of the dining room behind him.

"Are you sure you don't want anyone to go with you?" She leaned against the wall, watching him slip on a light jacket.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I need to handle this on my own." He closed his eyes and sighed, rolling his head on his shoulders. Liza stepped up to him, snaking her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry, baby. I hate that this is happening."

Charles tilted his head down, kissing the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. He hated it too, but having Liza here, knowing that she would be here when he got home, well, it made everything better. If this disaster had happened a year ago, he would have come home angry, drank too much, and done something stupid. But now he felt a sense of calmness about the whole situation. Things were clarified, the path forward clear. And he knew it was all because of her – if he had her by his side, he could get through anything. He was truly amazed at how quickly she had made such an impact on his life – she had walked into his life completely by chance, and now he couldn't remember how he had ever lived without her.

"It'll be fine. We'll get through this. All of us. I promise."

Liza tilted her head up to him, one hand moving from his waist to his neck, her fingers running through his har. She leaned in and kissed him, pulling him close to her. She felt him sigh, felt his hands squeeze her hips and pull her closer. They stood there, embracing in the darkened hallway for a moment before he groaned and reluctantly pulled away, pulling his car keys out of his jacket pocket. He paused at the door, looking back at Liza. Her hair was pulled back, her face clear of makeup, wearing his favorite t-shirt. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever known.

"Will you be here when I get back?"

Liza smiled, her head tilted slightly. "There's no place I'd rather be."

"This isn't over, my friend, not by a long shot!"

Edward's indignant voice boomed all around Charles's office as he paced back and forth on his ridiculous electric scooter. Charles sighed again, leaning back in his chair and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Edward, I'm afraid it is. You're more than welcome to fight this independently, but you'll be doing it without the support of Empirical Publishing."

"We have a contract!" He spun his scooter around and it caught the edge of Charles's desk, rattling it's contents. A small picture of Liza, Bianca and Nicole fell face down onto the wooden surface.

"Yes, we do. But your contract contains a morality clause. I have a fiduciary responsibility to this company to preserve and protect it's image. This is a family business that has been handed down through 3 generations. Regardless of the validity of these allegations, I can't in good conscious retain you as an author."

"This is preposterous. Listen." He pulled a stack of file folders out of a bag. He threw the first one onto the desk in front of Charles. "This accuser is a woman I met at a fantasy convention who's been trying to shake me down for years." He threw a second folder down. "This fan says I grabbed her ass during a photo, but my arm is actually around her lower waist." He held a third folder in his hand, a snide smile crossing his face. "And this one, well, she hasn't made any public allegations, but it's only a matter of time. And this one has absolutely zero credibility."

Charles looked down at the picture clipped to the outside of the folder. "That's Liza."

"We did some investigation. She represents herself as a young woman in her 20s. The fact is, she's a divorced 40 something housewife from New Jersey. Birth certificate, marriage license, bankruptcy report. The woman is a con artist. So, what do you have to say about that, Charles?" Edward leaned back in his chair with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, arms crossed over his ample body.

"None of that is news to me, Edward. Everyone in this office knows that Liza is in her 40s." Charles stood as the smirk disappeared off of Edward's face. "Her age is of little consequence to us. And as a matter of fact, she does not plan to come forward against you." He walked around the edge of the desk to stand in front of Edward. "She doesn't like you, Edward, but she's not going to hurt you. She's better than that. Besides, you have enough to deal with. But let's make this clear." He leaned over Edward. "If you come after her, I will make it my mission to destroy you. You'll be lucky to find an agent or a publishing house willing to publish anything you write. I wouldn't blame Liza for coming forward, but she has promised me that she won't. I've seen the way you leer at her, the things you've said to her. You're a pig, Edward."

"And you sound jealous, Charles."

Charles scoffed, standing and leaning against his desk. "I don't need to be jealous, Edward."

Moore stared back at him for a moment, expressionless. "You're going to regret this, Charles."

"I really don't think so, Edward. I don't want to make an enemy out of you. But our professional relationship has met the end of its road. Our legal department will contact your team tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck, Edward. I have a feeling you're going to need it." He crossed to the door and opened it, effectively bringing an end to the conversation. He watched as Edward leaned over, picking up the files he had tossed at Charles, pausing to pick up and glance at the picture that had been knocked over. Edward's bushy eyebrows rose slightly as he looked at the framed photo before setting it back upright. Pausing at the door, he glanced up at Charles. "You better hope your little girlfriend decides to keep her mouth shut. If she doesn't, well, you'll both regret it."

Charles tossed his keys into the dish by the front door, the clattering noise echoing in the darkened hallway. He had half expected everyone to still be at the house waiting for the details of the meeting. But the house was eerily silent. It was past midnight, so he imagined that Liza had already gone to bed. It was hard to believe that they had started out the day on the other side of the world. He was exhausted, mentally and physically.

He slipped off his jacket and started down the hallway, noticing a faint glow coming from the lounge. Stepping into the doorway he saw Liza sleeping on the couch, her head resting on a throw pillow, her bare feet sticking out underneath the end of the blanket. He smiled to himself, watching her sleep for a minute. She smiled even in her sleep, and part of him hoped she was dreaming of him. Of them. Of their future. It was his favorite thing to dream about. He crossed over to her, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. A lock of brown hair had fallen in her face, and he leaned in to tuck it behind her ear.

Liza stirred, blinking her eyes sleepily. Charles was sitting next to her, looking tired and weary, but he was smiling down at her.

"Hey." She yawned, sitting up and tossing the blanket aside. "What time is it?"

"Late. You should have just gone to bed. You've had a long day." He intertwined his fingers with Liza's when she reached for his hand.

"So, have you. I wanted to wait up for you. I don't like going to sleep when you're not there."

His heart swelled, and he leaned in to kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said the words softly, without hesitation. It was so natural for both of them now, and it made her so happy to hear him say those words. She knew she would never tire of it. She stood, still holding onto his hand. Leading him down the hallway and up the stairs. Never letting go.


	35. The Final Weekend

The week following the Edward L.L. Moore scandal proved to be difficult, to say the least. It was all hands-on deck, and Liza spent her time running interference between Diana and Charles. The press was hounding Empirical for information, and Charles had decided to take a tight-lipped stance. She'd spent half her day on Monday with Diana crafting a press release, only to have the legal department tear it apart, sending them back to the drawing board. It had been well past regular quitting time when they finally had finished. Charles had gone to pick the girls up from Pauline, and was spending his evening with them, so Liza trudged home alone, collapsing onto the couch.

By Friday, things had calmed down slightly. The media was still abuzz over the scandal, but some of the heat was thankfully off of Empirical. The press release had quashed some of the phone calls and much to Liza's surprise, Zane had stepped up and volunteered to go on GMA and give an interview on behalf of the company. Kelsey had scoffed, saying he was doing it just to get some free press, but Liza had been quite surprised when she watched the playback of the interview. Zane, in his Armani suit, with his professionally whitened smile, had condemned Moore and his behavior, which was a far cry from his stance a week ago. She felt even more gratitude towards Zane when she saw how the interview had boosted Charles' spirit.

He'd been working overtime all week, leaving the house early and coming home later than usual, heading straight for his scotch glass, his eyes tired, his body weary. Liza had spent Sunday with him, but he had been distant, spending most of his day holed up in his office. She'd spent the next two evening with Maggie, getting only brief responses from the texts she sent him. By Wednesday she had had enough, and so had Bianca and Nicole. The girls could tell that something was wrong and were going on week two of barely seeing their father. When Nicole had a nervous breakdown over a broken toy Liza had scooped them up and trekked back uptown with the two moody girls. A pit stop at their favorite cupcake shop had boosted their spirits, and by the time the trio had reached the Empirical offices the sugar had kicked in and they were positively giddy. The look on their father's face when he glimpsed them through the window of his office reassured Liza that she had made the right decision. She loved that about him; most men his age would groan when faced with the prospect of spending an extended period of time with their preteen kids, but Charles embraced it wholeheartedly. She was pretty sure David would have preferred to skip raising Caitlin from the ages of 8 until 18.

Charles had thanked her much later that evening when they were alone, worshipping her body until they were both spent, sweaty and satiated. She'd curled into the crook of his arm that night, listening to him fall asleep, his breathing slow and steady. She loved watching him sleep, so peaceful and at ease. His worries disappeared, his body and mind clear of the struggle, the weight on his shoulders. She only wished she could keep that weight off of him when he woke.

Friday night, Liza and Kelsey left work, headed back to Williamsburg to collect Lauren and Maggie and head out for dinner and drinks. The week had ended on a high note – after picking Marriage Vacation as "Book of the Summer", Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, had reached out to Kelsey, and it looked like they were interested in forming some sort of incubator deal with Millennial. It had actually been Liza's idea, brought up at the lunch meeting today. The company would get a first look at all of Millennial projects, and Millennial would get an influx of cash and a lot of good press. They even wanted to turn Marriage Vacation into a miniseries. It was just what the company needed after all the bad Moore press.

Liza sat on the edge of the couch in Josh's apartment, waiting for Lauren and Kelsey. She hadn't seen Josh since before she left for her vacation. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it had only been two weeks. Getting up, she wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water, absentmindedly reaching for the cupboard where he kept glasses. It had been months since they had split up, but she still remembered where everything was, like it was yesterday.

"Liza?"

"Shit! Jesus, you scared me." Turning, she saw Josh standing in the doorway, smirking at the scared expression on her face.

"What're you doing here?"

"Just waiting for Kelsey and Lauren. We're celebrating."

He tossed his keys into a tray by the door and brushed past her, pulling a beer from the fridge. "Anything good?" He asked, before falling back onto the couch.

"Just a good end to a bad week."

"Hmph." He took a swig of his beer, sighing as he pulled the bottle from his lips. "How was your, uh, vacation?"

"It was great, actually. We had a lot of fun." She couldn't help but put emphasis on "we" and saw the twinge of annoyance on his face. "Listen, we never talked after my birthday, Josh. I want to make sure we're on the same page."

"Oh, your boyfriend made sure of that. Really thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?"

"Oh, just stop it, will you?" She stalked over to him, yanking the beer from his hand and sitting down next to him. "How many times do we need to have this conversation, Josh? I love you and you will always be my friend, always be in my life, but my relationship with Charles isn't going away anytime soon. You need to accept that, and the sooner you do, the sooner we can move past all of this bullshit. You know, you'd really like him if you actually got to know him."

"Okay, we are ready to go!" Kelsey and Lauren appeared, made up for a night out. "Everything okay out here?" Kelsey asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Liza stood, handing the beer back to Josh. "It's all good. Let's go." She threw open the door, not bothering to look back at the man she once loved.

"What was all that about?" Kelsey asked as they climbed down the stairs, pushing open the door to the street.

"Nothing, really. I'm just sick of his attitude."

"You need to give him time, Liza. He's not over you."

"It's been almost 6 months. It's time. Hey!" She called, seeing Maggie leaning up against an idling SUV. "I thought we were picking you up."

Maggie smirked, pushing herself away from the vehicle. "I think your plans might have changed. Look who I ran into at the apartment." She rapped on the door, and the windows on the passenger side of the car rolled down. Two little brunette heads popped out of the backseat window.

"Liza! We came to take you away!" Bianca giggled, her purple sunglasses sliding down her nose.

"Yeah, Liza, we're kidnapping you!"

Laughing, Liza looked back at Maggie, who shrugged. Charles stepped out of the car and around the front bumper. He was wearing aviators, which she thought looked incredibly sexy with his dark jeans and black t shirt, and he was grinning widely.

"Sorry to interrupt your plans, ladies, but do you mind if I steal my girl away for the weekend? Last minute surprise trip to Pound Ridge. If you're up for it, of course."

Liza looked back at the three women, who were all smiling at Charles. Even Maggie and Lauren could appreciate how hot he looked tonight.

"Take her." Kelsey said, laughing. "She would have spent the whole night mooning over you anyways."

"I would not!"

Charles laughed, stepping up onto the sidewalk and wrapping an arm around Liza's shoulders. "You don't really have a choice. Maggie already packed you a bag." He glanced at Maggie, grinning. Liza loved that they got along, but they were a bit too conspiratorial when it came to her for her liking. "Listen, you all should come up on Monday," he added, addressing Lauren, Kelsey and Maggie. "We'll do a Labor Day picnic. My last hurrah at the house."

"What?" Liza turned her face up to him, confused, her brow furrowed. Charles reached behind him, pressing a button inside the car door to roll up the window that Bianca and Nicole were hanging out of. "Pauline is officially buying out my interest in the property. Her dad is paying for it, I guess. We sign all the paperwork next week." It really was what he wanted. He loved the house, but it had always been his wife's dream, not his. He wanted to build a future with the woman standing in front of him, not dwell on the past. "It's alright, baby, it really is," He added at the look of concern on her face.

"Okay, okay. Let's get a move on, then." She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek before climbing in the front seat. She rolled down the window again, leaning her head out to talk to her girlfriends on the sidewalk. "Text me about Monday. It'd be fun, I promise." She flashed them a final, slightly wistful smile before tucking herself back into the air-conditioned car. Charles reached over with one hand and grabbed hers, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"You should know, I lost the coin toss before we left, so we're listening to the 'Best of Disney' playlist that the girls picked out. So," he flashed her a grin as they pulled out onto the street, "you may want to get out while you still can."

She squeezed his hand and leaned over, kissing him gently on the cheek. "Not a chance."

Four hours, twenty "are we there yet?'s", and a late-night dinner of smore's on the patio and the girls were finally tucked into bed, tuckered out from running around the lawn catching fireflies well past their regular bedtime.

"I'm never giving them sugar again." Charles sighed, closing the door to their bedroom quietly as Liza watched amused, leaning against the wall.

"Uh-huh. I'm sure." She pushed away from the wall, wrapping an arm around his waist as he passed by her and basking in the heat coming from his body. The house was very well air conditioned and she had been shivering, but she had her own personal space heater, and she planned on keeping him nice and close tonight.

They passed the door to the library and Liza had a sudden flashback to the last time she was here, when she had fled that room after being slapped across the face by Pauline. How quickly things had changed. Pauline was still cool towards her but had kept the outward hostility to a minimum. Charles had told her earlier, as the girls ran circles around each other on the lawn, that the divorce papers would be signed next week, and everything would be final after that. They hadn't brought up the subject of marriage, but Liza couldn't help but feel a little grateful that that barrier was out of their way. Just in case.

"Let me carry our bags up here, and then let's have a little nightcap." He kissed her temple and jogged down the steps to pick up their two overnight bags from the floor at the base of the stairs. He paused at the door to the master bedroom, frowning, and turned to open a door opposite it, into an equally large guest bedroom. "It's a little weird, isn't it?" He asked, running his hand through his hair. "Like it's not my bedroom, anymore." He shook his head, trying to clear his head. "Is it okay if we stay in here?"

Liza crossed the wood floor to the doorway, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's fine, baby. I don't care where we sleep, as long as you're in the bed with me."

"Mmmmm," He sighed as he leaned down to kiss her. "I like the sound of that." He stepped backwards and into the room, reaching past Liza to push the door close and lock it securely. He didn't need his children walked into this room anytime in the immediate future.

Liza pulled back just a bit, enough to tantalize him with the feel of her lips on his as she spoke. "What about your drink? I thought you wanted a nightcap."

Charles chuckled, a low, deep laugh that made Liza smile. "I can think of a few better ways to spend the next few minutes than drinking scotch."

"A few minutes? You can do better than that, Charles Brooks."

His breath hitched as she spoke, caught off guard by her comment and her sudden movement, pushing him back towards the bed, just enough so that he fell gently onto the soft comforter. He smiled, leaning back, as Liza stepped out of her shoes and pulled her blouse over her head. She stood there, smiling down at him in a black bra and blue jeans, her hair down and tumbling around her shoulders and he felt a now familiar rush of affection for the woman standing before him. He loved her, every inch of her, every fiber of her being. The room crackled with electricity as they stared at each other as she slowly flicked open her jeans and shimmied out of them, naked except for her underwear.

"Your turn." She said, a little breathless. Leaning over to pull his shirt over his head as his hands skimmed the outside of her thighs, fiddling with the hem of her underwear. "Not yet." She swatted his hand away and pushed his chest back so that he was laying back on the bed. He could feel himself growing more and more aroused for her as she deftly flicked open his belt and undid the fly on his jeans. He arched his hips up and she slid the jeans off of his legs and onto the floor with the rest of their clothes. "Much better."

Charles sat up and placed his hands on her hips, turning her around so her back was to him. Liza shivered as she felt his breath on her back as he kissed her spine, her lower back as he slipped one finger around her panties and slid them down her legs, letting them fall to her feet. She gasped as he felt his lips on her ass, one hand squeezing one cheek as his teeth sank gently into the other. His free hand climbed up her back and unclasped her bra, freeing her from her final piece of clothing.

"God, Liza, you're so beautiful," he whispered as he turned her around and kissed her stomach, his stubble scratching the bare skin, causing her to giggle. "What's so funny?"

"You're tickling me." His eyes twinkled, and he ran his unshaved face across her taunt stomach, causing her to giggle some more. "Charles! Stop!" She teased, pushing him back down onto the bed and climbing atop him. As she moved, she pulled his briefs down his thighs and felt him kick them onto the floor somewhere at the foot of the bed. She ran her hands from his stomach to his shoulders, digging her nails into him slightly. He reached up to grab her hips, to center her over him, his fingers digging into her skin as he guided her down onto him.

Liza tossed her head back lazily as she felt the heat pool in her body, somewhere behind and just below her bellybutton. She braced herself with one hand on his chest, the other running through her hair as they settled into a slow, steady rhythm. She smiled lazily as she saw his mouth form an O of utter astonishment, his brow knitted with the concentration of a man taking in every ounce of pleasure and committing it to memory.

The pair of them lost themselves in each other, in the tide of hard and soft sensations, bringing each other to the brink of release.

"God, Liza," he groaned quietly, reaching up to cup her breast with one hand. "You're fucking gorgeous." She responded by leaning down to kiss him slowly, softly, as she brought them over the brink, lost in the moment.

They were woken way too early by the sound of hungry children pounding on the door to the guest room, demanding a) snuggles and b) breakfast. Liza was thankful that they had had the foresight to slip on their pajamas before falling fully asleep, and that she had gathered their discarded clothing and tossed it into a pile on an end chair. The last things those two girls needed was to be traumatized by seeing Dad's boxer brief's and her underwear laying in a pile on the floor.

She'd barely sat up in bed before Charles got the door open and Bianca and Nicole flung their little bodies onto the bed. Bianca climbed right into Liza's lap and snuggled up against her and Liza felt awash with affection for the little girl. She adored both of them but had a particular attachment to Bianca and her precocious demeanor. They lay there for a few minutes listening to the girls gab on about what they dreamt about and what they wanted to do this weekend.

Charles watched, a small smile on his face, as Bianca curled herself up on Liza's lap and Liza began to run her hand absentmindedly through the tangle of Bianca's bedhead. He loved how close the girls were getting on with her. Nicole was still a little distant, but Bianca, well, she just adored Liza. How he had gotten so lucky as to find a woman who accepted his kids into her heart so fully, he had no idea. She treated the girls as if they were her own ad it made his heart so full that it actually ached. She made the choice to love the girls when she didn't have to, and for that, he would love her always.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

Sighing, Liza put a hand up to Charles' chest as she opened the drivers side door to the SUV. "Absolutely not. My answer is the same as it was the first time you asked me and the 5 times you've asked in the last half an hour. Babe, it's fine." She rolled her eyes as she leaned in for a kiss.

When they finally made their way down to the kitchen for breakfast, all they could scrounge up was some frozen waffles. Charles, the typical guy, had completely forgotten that the house hadn't been occupied for weeks and that there was next to nothing in the kitchen stores that was edible. So, Liza had suggested, as they scraped butter over not too crispy waffles, that she make a trip into town to buy groceries and that she take the girls with her. It would give her some more one on one time with the girls and would give Charles the opportunity to clear out the remainder of his personal belongings from the house without the girls peppering him with questions.

She climbed into the SUV and leaned through the window to give him a kiss as the girls giggled in the background. She hooked her phone up to the Bluetooth and called Caitlin as she pulled out onto the road and invited her to the house for their Labor Day picnic. She'd only been in class for a week, so the workload wasn't too heavy, and she hadn't seen the girls since they finished their summer camp at MOMA. Liza hadn't hosted a holiday party since before she and David got divorced, and the prospect of hosting even a small little get together excited her. She'd suggested to Charles this morning that they invite Diana and Enzo and Charles' cousin, Anna and her family.

15 minutes later she pulled up outside the grocery store, which was mercifully quiet for a Saturday morning. She grabbed a cart and the trio started to make their way down an aisle of breakfast cereal, where Bianca was immediately mesmerized by her options. She noticed Nicole, out of the side of her eye, standing back, a little hesitant.

"Why don't you go pick out a box of cereal, Nicole? You can get whatever kind you want. This is a special weekend," She rested a hand on Nicole's shoulder, squeezing encouragingly.

"Mommy doesn't let us have sugary cereal. She says it goes straight to your thighs." Nicole smacked the side of her pencil thin legs.

"Oh, honey, don't you worry about that. Anyways, you're with Daddy this weekend, and he says you can have whatever cereal you want, okay? Besides," she leaned down and whispered conspiratorially in Nicole's ear, "He loves Capt'N Crunch." Nicole giggled and went to join her sister, each of them selecting a box. Bianca jumped on the end of the cart as they rounded the next aisle while Nicole, smiling shyly, took over pushing the cart.

"Do you love my Daddy?" She asked abruptly, as Liza loaded a few packs of hamburger and hot dog buns into the rapidly filling cart.

"I do, "she nodded with a smile. "Very much."

"Are you guys gonna get married someday?"

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe. Can you keep a secret?" Nicole nodded; her eyes wide. "I'd love to marry your Daddy someday."

"He and Mommy were married, but not anymore. Were you ever married Liza?"

"I was. I was married to Caitlin's dad for a long time."

"What happened?"

Liza took a deep breath as they stopped to grab some fruits and veggies. How do you explain divorce to a preteen? "Well, we didn't make each other happy anymore. And you shouldn't spend time with people who don't make you happy, even if you love them. So, we decided to not be married anymore."

Nicole nodded in a slow, wise fashion that made Liza laugh. "You make Daddy happy. I can tell. He loves you. I hope you get married. I love Mommy but I think it'd be cool to have you as a Mom too." Liza stopped in the middle of the aisle and bent down to hug Nicole.

"Oh, kiddo, I'd love that too."

The next two days passed in complete bliss. Saturday afternoon, after the unloading of the massive grocery haul, was spent in the pool or lounging next to it. Liza had cursed out Maggie when she realized she only had a skimpy two piece, but Charles appreciated the gesture, filing away a mental note to buy Maggie a fantastic Christmas present. Liza had spent more the afternoon lounging poolside and reading, or watching Charles swim with the girls, his torso muscular and tan and glistening with water. After the girls had fallen asleep in the tent that they had pitched on the lawn the two had returned to the pool, quietly slipping into the water to join their bodies together in the cool water. The last thing Liza remembered that night was climbing back into the tent with the girls, she and Charles on either side of the catatonic children. He'd reached over and taken her hand in his, a sleepy, content look on his face as he drifted into a peaceful slumber. It was a picture-perfect moment.

Monday morning came fast and furious with the girls waking at the crack of dawn, excited at the prospect of seeing their cousins and breaking in the slip n' slide that Liza had impulsively purchased at the grocery store. They'd roused Charles and Liza from a peaceful sleep, pouncing onto the bed and jumping up and down until the two adults begrudgingly slide from their warm bedsheets to begin party preparations.

They'd invited about 10-15 people, and Liza had smartly prepped all of the food the night before, delighting in using the chef quality kitchen. Charles had sat on a stool at the island and watched her, amused, as she pranced around the kitchen chopping up veggies and throwing together salads. He'd helped when she allowed him to, but mostly he just watched her work. She was having a blast playing hostess, and the party hadn't even started yet. He learned something new about her every day. With her expert planning all they had to do was set up things outside, so they were ready to go by mid-morning. When Charles announced that all the work was done, the girls ran full speed up to their room to don their swimsuits. Liza decided they should do the same.

"The casual look looks good on you, mister." Liza teased Charles as he stepped out of the bathroom, wearing navy blue swim trunks and a grey t-shirt, his feet bare and his aviators perched on his head. He posed, pretending to toss his hair back like a model strutting down the runway. Liza giggled as she stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You look pretty sexy in those little shorts," He whispered into her ear as he tucked his hands into the back pocket of her jean shorts. "Those legs should be illegal." He thought she looked like a summer goddess. Her skin was still sun-kissed from the trip to Greece, and her long legs were on full display in her denim shorts. He could see a hint of her blue bikini through her white t-shirt. Her hair was wavy and pulled up into a loose ponytail and she smelled like sunscreen and coconut scented shampoo.

The doorbell rang, followed instantly by the girls thundering footsteps down the hall, shouting as they ran past the closed bedroom door. Charles chuckled and shook his head, planting a quick last kiss on Liza's forehead before they went to greet their guests.

Charles's cousin Anna and her family were the first to arrive, the children immediately inciting chaos in the house as they stripped to their swimsuits and demanded that Anna's husband and Charles set up the slip n'slide and sprinkler.

"I don't know how you handle all three of them, Anna, honestly," Liza said to Anna as they headed into the house to pull some drinks and snacks out of the fridge. "I only had one and I thought I would go crazy with her at times."

"Oh, I'm used to the insanity by now. Besides, "she grinned as she pulled out a pitcher of lemonade, "school starts in two days. So, thank god for that."

Liza laughed lightly, always glad to know that she wasn't the only one that felt that way. She really liked Anna and wanted to get to know her better. She had a feeling they would be fast friends.

"How old is your daughter?"

"She'll be 20 in October. Just started her sophomore year at Vassar."

"Impressive!"

"Yeah, she's pretty great. You'll get to meet her in a bit. She and her roommate Rose are coming down for the afternoon. Have you ever met Charles's friends Bob and Julia? She's their daughter."

"I have. That's a small world. If you didn't work for Chucky you probably would have met him anyways."

Smiling, Liza regaled Anna with the story of their first dinner with Bob and Julia. How they had been planning on setting her and Charles up on a blind date, how they thought they were perfect for one another.

"Seems that fate was in your favor, then. It was meant to be!"

"I think so. We're doing really good. I'm happy. I hope he is too."

Anna watched as Liza looked absentmindedly out the kitchen window, where Charles was hooking up a garden hose to the sprinkler. The tall brunette had a happy, blissed out in love look on her face, but it was mixed with something else, something that Anna couldn't quite put her finger on. Not sadness or worry, but maybe apprehensiveness.

"Everything okay, Liza?"

Liza shook her head, pulling herself out of the moment. "Yeah, yeah. I, just…."

"You can talk to me, Liza."

"I just feel like I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? Like I shouldn't be this lucky, be this happy. Like I don't deserve him. Don't deserve the life we're building together."

Anna paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to word what she wanted to say to Liza. "You shouldn't feel guilty for doing what you did. From what I understand, you did it for your daughter. You can't feel guilty about doing whatever it takes to protect your kid, to give them the life they deserve. You're earned your career, and from what Charles has told me, you're very good at your job. Don't feel bad about that, Liza. And in regard to my cousin, I think you're pretty secure there. He loves you so much, Liza. Has for a long time. He was in a pretty bad place when you came into his life, and you lifted him up out of the place. I've never seen him happier than these past few months. Trust that. Trust each other. Trust your love. You deserve it."

Blinking back a few tears, Liza pulled Anna into her arms, into a fierce hug. No wonder Charles adored her.

Anna squeezed her lightly and let her go. "Okay, enough with the mush. Let's go drink some margaritas. And," she paused, cocking her head, "I think a couple more cars just pulled up."

Liza heard a car door slam and straightened herself up. "That's my cue."

Diana and Enzo had just pulled up, as had Caitlin and Rose. Caitlin had barely climbed out of the car when Liza pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Mom! Ohmygod, stop, woman."

"Hey, I missed you! I'm entitled to give you a hug." She squeezed her one more time, laughing as Caitlin squirmed out from under her arms.

"Liza, is this your daughter?" Diana stood a few feet away, smiling cautiously.

"Yes, it is! Caitlin, this is Diana Trout. She's the head of marketing at Empirical. Diana, this is Caitlin Miller, my daughter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Caitlin. You mom, well, she's quite a special woman."

"Yeah, she's pretty cool." Caitlin jabbed her playfully in the side. "Oh, mom, before I forget." She reached through the open window of the car and handed her a pamphlet. "I'm supposed to give you this."

"What's this for?"

"Parent's Weekend. In two weeks. I thought it might be nice if you came up to campus. Charles can come too."

"Did you let your Dad know?" She didn't relish the idea of David meeting Charles. She wanted to put that off for as long as she could.

"I emailed him."

"Okay, well, I'd love to come. We'll talk about it later. Time to get y'all out back. Rose knows the way." She ushered the 4 into the house as her blue SUV pulled into the driveway, Maggie at the wheel.

"You made it!"

"Holy shit, girl, look at this place! It's a freaking mansion." Maggie tipped her sunglasses down, looking up at the house.

"Wait till you see the kitchen." She went to link her arm through Maggie's but paused as the 4th car door opened, and Josh stepped out.

"Uhh, hi. I didn't know you were coming."

Kelsey made a face at her as she passed. "I invited him, Liza. You two need to work things out. C'mon, Mags, I'll give you the quick tour." She pulled Lauren away, leading the way into the house, leaving Josh and Liza standing awkwardly by the car. Josh shuffled back and forth for a moment, looking uneasy.

"If you came here just to antagonize Charles, I'm not going to have it, Josh. We're just trying to have a nice, drama free weekend."

"I didn't come here to fight, Liza. I promise. Kelsey kinda kicked my ass this weekend about how I've been behaving. I owe you an apology, Liza. Both of you. I'm sorry for how I've acted the past few months. I've been acting like a child, and I'm sorry for that. I want to be friends with you. We've always been good at being friends, and I want to get back to that. I can't promise that I'll be perfect 100% of the time, but I'm going to try.

"That means a lot, Josh. And that you're willing to make amends with Charles. I do think that you would like him if you got to know him."

They started to walk around the side of the house towards the backyard, where squealing children and adult voices could be heard.

"I know. That's probably part of why I've been such an asshole to him. You guys are good together, and that's been hard to stomach. He's the right guy for you."

Liza blushed slightly, truly caught off guard by Josh's words. She could only hope that they were sincere. "I'm not going to disagree with that, but it means a lot to hear you say it. C'mon," she said, pulling him towards the people milling in the backyard. "Let's get you a drink."

It was the perfect afternoon, Charles thought, surrounded by some of his closest friends and family. Bob and Julia had showed up midafternoon, and he always love spending time with Anna and her family. He loved that she seemed to be getting close to Liza – he'd seen them sequestered together more than a few times this afternoon. He only hoped that Anna could still keep a secret.

He'd pulled her inside after lunch under the guise of grabbing some swim towels for the kids and had shown her some real estate listings on his phone. He'd started looking around at new vacation properties awhile back, when the idea of Pauline buying his interest out of this house had been floated. He'd found a few properties, one just a half hour from Pound Ridge, in Chappaqua. He'd immediately fallen in love with the property and was highly confident Liza would as well. It had a distinctly English country estate feeling to it, with stone walls, a summer porch and meandering gardens full of beautiful flowers. The interior was updated just enough to be both modern and traditional. The buyout from Pauline would cover more than half the purchase price, and if Liza loved it half as much as he did, it would be worth the payment on the loan from the bank.

He'd been thrown off when he saw Josh round the corner of the house with Liza and had steeled himself for some unpleasant words but had been surprised when Josh came up to him, hand extended and apology in hand. He, like Liza, was skeptical of him, but gave him the benefit of doubt. He was sick and tired of the drama.

It was dusk now, and they were all gathered around the firepit on the patio. Caitlin had plugged a speaker into her phone and some acoustic guitar music was playing quietly in the background. The kids were still splashing around in the pool, supervised by Caitlin and Rose, while the adults were all sitting in lounge chairs around the crackling fire, drinking wine and talking quietly. Liza slipped her sandals off, enjoying the feel of the cool stone patio on her feet as she sipped her wine. It had truly been a wonderful day, but she could sense the end like it was a palpable sensation in the air. The food was packed into coolers or people's cars, their bags packed. They would be returning to the city late tonight, opting for an evening departure to avoid traffic and hopefully have two quiet kids in the backseat. She'd noticed Charles glancing around somewhat wistfully at the place, taking in things for the last time. She knew that he wanted a fresh start, but this house held a lot of memories for him. She knew the feeling well.

"Dance with me?"

Liza jumped a little as she heard his voice, splashing a bit of wine onto her hand. She turned to see Charles right behind her, hands outstretched, a quiet smile on his face. She set her wineglass on the stone wall behind her and stepped into his arms. She snaked an arm around his shoulder, resting her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, as his arm slid around her waist and onto her bare skin just under the edge of her t-shirt. Charles clasped her fingers in his other hand, pulling their intertwined fingers to his chest, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on him as they slowly turned in time with the strumming of the guitar.

"Thank you for this weekend, Charles. It's been just perfect." It had been. She'd spent time with all of her favorite people. For so long she had struggled to keep all the parts of her life separate, but now, finally, she could enjoy the best parts of her life all at once. All of the people she loved near and dear to her were getting to know each other, to like and love each other. She loved seeing Caitlin playing in the yard with Bianca and Nicole and then discussing school with Diana and Kelsey. She loved seeing Charles having a civil conversation with Josh and cracking jokes with Maggie. It was almost as if all the puzzle pieces of her life were finally fitting together.

"You're perfect. This weekend, just a close second." He leaned down, kissing the top of her head. If only they could stay like this forever. He hoped they would. He could look at Liza and see the rest of his life in her eyes.

Liza sighed contentedly as she felt him pull her closer, felt the heat radiating off of his body.

"Completely and perfectly incandescently happy." She whispered, just loud enough for Charles to hear. And she was. Truly.

**This is the link to the house I am picturing Charles buying for he and Liza. I can imagine them spending time here, and I love the English country estate vibe. There may be a wedding that takes place here, down the road 😉 **

homedetails/30-Hemlock-Hls-Chappaqua-NY-10514/33064864_zpid/


	36. Whatever It Takes

"That's so awesome, Kelsey! Congratulations!"

"What's so awesome?" Maggie sauntered into the living room to join Liza and Kelsey on the couch, a pitcher of margaritas in one hand and three empty glasses in the other.

"Kelsey here is going to be nominated at this year's Maverick at the "Glamour" Women of the Year Awards." Liza clapped her hands excitedly, bumping her blonde friend in the shoulder.

"Wow Kelsey! Very nice!" Maggie handed them each a drink, "Cheers!"

"So," Liza started, settling back into the cushion. "How did this happen? When did this happen?"

Kelsey took a sip of her drink, an amused look on her face. "Lauren. I'm not entirely sure, but I'm going with it. I've learned with Lo it's better to not ask questions."

"You totally deserve it Kelsey. You're absolutely killing it at Millennial."

And it was true. In the wake of the L.L. Moore scandal, Millennial had emerged stronger than ever, while the rest of the company was floundering a bit. Just this past week a deal had been made with Hello Sunshine to turn Marriage Vacation into an HBO miniseries. Liza didn't relish spending more time with Pauline than necessary, but she also knew that part of the divorce settlement (which had at last been finalized this past week, thank God!) was that Pauline got the option to any further sequels to the story back, meaning she and her cash cow of a novel could go to another publishing house. It was a financial hit, yes, but the money that the first book and this miniseries would rake in would more than make up for it. They'd also scored a meeting with Quinn Tyler, a self-made female billionaire and would hopefully be signing her next week. Zane and Kelsey had also signed Jake Devereaux, a former speechwriter for Barack Obama with a charming smile and a podcast with a cult like following. Liza was working with an Empirical editor on a tell all autobiography from Chrissy Hart, a semiretired rockstar and was attempting to sign a young, shy new author that had written a young adult dystopian novel that she thought could become the next YA sensation, like the Hunger Games.

Liza, at the encouragement of her coworkers, had had lunch with Redmond earlier in the week to pitch the possibility of turning her story into a book. He had been surprised when she told him her real age but had applauded her ability to pull the whole thing off for so long. "I knew there was something fishy about you, and I'm never wrong" had been his exact words, but he had been intrigued. His interest had fallen slightly when she told him how apprehensive she was to turn her story into a book, mostly because he had been seeing dollar signs up to that point, but he had promised to pitch the whole concept to a friend at the New Yorker magazine. She'd much rather write an article or do an interview and let the whole thing go away quietly rather than bring more attention to herself in the form of a tell all book. All she wanted was to get back to her life.

"Correction. We're killing it." Kelsey leaned over to take Liza's hand. "I know you're not as involved as we wish you could be right now, but you've helped me make Millennial what it is. So, I want you to be at the award ceremony. Charles too. It's the first Friday in October. I think Lauren is going to try to convince Diana to buy a table."

"I bet that'll go over well."

"Where is your boy toy tonight, anyways, Liza?" Maggie refilled their glasses and sank back into the couch, a teasing smile on her face. She loved seeing her best friend this happy, but she still took every opportunity to make her blush.

"He's taking the girls out to dinner tonight and dropping them off with Pauline for the weekend. He's coming up to Vassar with me for Parent's Weekend."

"Ooooh, taking him to meet the ex-husband. Must be getting serious." Kelsey tossed her head back and laughed while Liza swatted Maggie with a pillow.

"I cannot picture you married, Liza." Kelsey tilted her head, like she was examining Liza, "especially to a dentist." Liza didn't respond, opting to take a sip of her drink and nod. She'd been reflecting on her relationship with David quite a bit recently, what was good, what went wrong, what she could have done to fix things. She knew dwelling on the "what ifs" wasn't necessarily the healthiest thing to do, but she didn't want to make the same mistakes. Then again, Charles was definitely not David, and she definitely wasn't the woman she used to be.

"Earth to Liza." Kelsey waved a hand in front of Liza's face, giggling tipsily.

"Hmmm?"

"I just asked you if you thought you'd ever get married again. If Charles asked you, would you say yes?"

She paused for a moment, her head filled with visions of Charles; down on one knee and then standing at an altar, looking down an aisle at her. She and Charles dancing at Caitlin's wedding, clapping proudly at his daughter's college graduations, growing old together. It was everything she couldn't picture with Josh, and it was all that she wanted.

"I think I would, yeah. But, I mean, we haven't even been together for 5 months. We both just finalized our divorces. I'm not ringing wedding bells anytime soon." Smiling serenely, she settled back into the couch cushion. She might not be ringing wedding bells anytime soon, but, just maybe, she could hear them tinkling faintly in the distance.

"Mooooommmm! You made it!" Caitlin's voice reverberated across the hall to where Liza and Charles stood, checking in for the weekend. She ran over to her mom and wrapped her arms around her.

"Of course I did baby!" She squeezed her daughter and released her, pushing her back to take a look at her. College suited her well, her eyes were bright and her smile wide.

"You saw me two weeks ago, Mom. I look the same, I promise. Hi, Charles." She added, rolling her eyes and reaching over to give Charles a quick hug. "I'm glad you're here. And thanks for the class advice, by the way. Totally saved my ass."

"Language, Caitlin!"

Ignoring her mom, she continued. "Rose's parents got here about a half hour ago. She dragged them off to a panel or something. I thought we could meet them for lunch, if that works for you guys?" She led them out of the hall into the crisp, cool courtyard. Liza was happy she opted for jeans and boots this morning rather than a dress. Fall was definitely upon them.

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." Charles quoted quietly, noticing Liza's slight shiver.

"Oscar Wilde before 10:00 in the morning? I'm impressed." Liza leaned up to peck him lightly on the cheek, snuggling close to him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she called out to Caitlin, who stood a few feet in front of them.

"Hey, Cait, isn't your Dad supposed to be here?"

The dejected look on Caitlin's face answered Liza's question instantaneously. "He said he'd be here yesterday. He was going to come up early and we were going to have dinner together. Never showed up and hasn't answered my texts."

"Okay. Listen, why don't you run over to your dorm and grab a jacket, and when you get back, want to give us the 25-cent tour?"

"Sure, but I don't need a jacket, Mom."

"Just indulge your mother for 5 minutes, okay honey? Please."

She rolled her eyes but turned and marched across the courtyard towards a cluster of ivy-covered brick dormitories. As soon as she was out of earshot Liza pulled out her phone and tapped in a number, her eyes angry, her expression stony. Charles stepped back, leaning up against a tree, his hands in his pockets. He had a pretty good feeling he knew who she was calling.

"David! What the hell?" - "What do you mean, what? It's Parent's Weekend. You were supposed to be here yesterday." – "Of course, you forgot." – "Where are you anyways? I can barely hear you."

Charles watched her pace back and forth in front of him, rubbing one hand over her eyes. "You're gambling, aren't you? Let me guess, Atlantic City?" – "Really classy, David." – "No, don't bother. I've got it taken care of. Like always."

"I take it he's not coming?"

Liza sighed and stepped into Charles' arms, wrapping her arms around him tightly as he rubbed her back. Charles hated seeing her upset like this and hated her ex husband even more for making her feel like this. But he understood it. The two of them had this silent understanding of each other, what it felt like to be a single parent with a less than reliable ex.

"Hey," he said softly, placing his hand under her chin to lift her head up, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones. "Caitlin is so lucky to have you. I know that, and I think she does too. You can't control what he does, but you can control how it affects you. And listen," he paused, rubbing the side of her face with his thumb, "I know I'm not her father, but I have every intention of being a part of Caitlin's life. She's a great kid. And I'm pretty crazy about her mom. Head over heels in love with her, in fact."

He leaned down and kissed her lightly, and Liza let herself become completely lost in the moment, savoring the feel of his mouth pressed against hers, the taste of coffee and the cinnamon gum he had been chewing in the car on his breath. He was her rock, her center, her home. "I love you too." She whispered as she pulled away to take a breath. He would forever be her always.

Liza awoke the morning of the Glamour Awards to someone pounding on the door to the apartment at 7 A.M., startling her out of a warm comfortable sleep. She sat up, sliding Charles' arm off of her waist and onto the comforter. He shifted, not waking from his state of deep hibernation, and Liza rolled his eyes. At least he doesn't snore, she thought, as she slipped a robe on over her pajamas and padded out into the living room, where Maggie was just opening the door.

"Kelsey," she yawned, as the blonde stepped into the room, "what the fuck? It's a little early for a social call."

"I didn't stop by for a chat. I stopped by to show Liza this." She thrust a rolled-up magazine at Liza, scoffing as she did so.

Liza rolled open the magazine to see that it was this week's issue of New York Magazine. She frowned, looking back up at her blonde friend, who was now glaring at her with arms crossed.

"Open it."

Liza flipped open the first page, her eyes scanning the table of contents. About halfway down, she paused.

"Living Younger: The Real-Life Story of a Not So Millennial Editor at One of New York's Oldest Publishing Houses."

"What the hell, Liza?" Kelsey stormed back towards her and snatched the magazine out of her hands. "This was supposed to be my day, and you do this! It's all anyone is going to talk about tonight."

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think, Kelsey?" Maggie interjected. "It's not even a publishing event, is it? Most people there won't even know about this."

"Kelsey, this wasn't supposed to be in this issue. I specifically asked them to hold it until the next one because I didn't want this to happen."

Kelsey rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, just as the door to Liza's bedroom opened and Charles stepped out. Kelsey was momentarily caught off guard by the sight of Charles shirtless as he stepped out into the room in his pajama bottoms. Maggie smirked at Liza, and they both had to bite back a laugh.

"Everything okay out here?"

"New York Magazine published my article an issue early. Kelsey is worried that I'm trying to take attention away from her award tonight."

"That's ridiculous," He gestured to Kelsey to stop talking, as she was just about to launch into him. "Kelsey, Liza had no control over when the magazine released her article. I know for a fact that she asked them to hold off because I was there. She's not trying to hurt you or steal your thunder. No one is. You've got no right to be upset with her."

"Well, of course you're going to side with the woman you're sleeping with." She tossed the magazine onto an end table with a loud slap. "I'm taking a personal day, FYI. I can't be around you right now, Liza." She slammed the door loudly, leaving the three standing there, bewildered.

"I don't even know if I should go tonight, Charles." Liza fretted in front of the mirror in his bedroom, smoothing down the front of her black dress. She'd tried texting Kelsey a few times, to no avail, and had finally give up at about 3 in the afternoon.

"She'll get over it. She's just being selfish." Charles came up behind her, sliding his hands down her body, coming to rest on her waist as he nuzzled his face against her neck, planting warm kisses from her collarbone to her ear.

"We could just…. stay in." Liza whispered, rolling her head back and sighing contentedly. She didn't even want to go anymore. She just wanted to stay here, with Charles, and pretend that the rest of the world didn't exist.

"Diana would kill us after she bought the biggest table there. We have to make an appearance at least."

"Fine." Liza pouted, reaching over to grab her clutch. Charles chuckled as he slid his jacket on and stuck his phone in a pocket. He loved Liza as she was, but there were moments where a younger Liza poked through and he saw that she was still very much a young woman at heart. She had a lot to prove, and a lot of life left that she wanted to experience. There was a small part of him that worried that she might think that being with him was holding her back from experiencing life, but he pushed that worry aside and buried it deep down every time she flashed him a smile.

"I promise I'll make it worth your while when we get back here tonight." Charles brushed his lips against her ear, sending a shiver down Liza's spine.

"Well, let's get going, then. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave." Tossing her hair over one shoulder, she backed out of the room, her eyes twinkling, her mouth teasing, leaving Charles a little bit speechless and a lot in love.

Liza stood along the side of the reception hall, her eyes wandering across the room to where Kelsey stood conversing with a few women. Lauren was fluttering around nearby, looking quite like a bird in her white feathery dress.

"Nice article." A woman's voice came from just behind her. Liza turned to see who was addressing her and was greeted by Quinn Tyler. She had come in a few days ago to pitch her book to Millennial and her offer was sitting on Liza's desk, waiting Kelsey's final approval. Liza thought she came off as a little harsh but was still impressed enough by her business prowess to be thrown off by being addressed directly by her.

"Quinn! It's so good to see you again."

"You too. I have to admit, Liza, you had me fooled. I would have sworn you were an annoyingly earnest 20 something in our meeting this week." Quinn smirked, crossing her arms and leaning against the column Liza was hovering near. "Kudos to you for pulling it off."

"Uhh, thank you, I think. I'm not holding myself out as a Millennial anymore, though. My secret is out. I'm glad to put that chapter behind me. I really just did it out of desperation."

"For your daughter. I respect that. But for you, too." She glanced Liza over. "I doubt you're the meek little soccer mom you were a few years ago. If that's ever who you really were."

"I think everyone changes to adapt to their surroundings. Not always in a good way, but we call do it, even if it's intentional or subconscious."

"Well, regardless, I think you did something pretty remarkable. It's why I'm signing with Millennial. I don't care about the money. I've got enough of that. I want to work with you and Kelsey. You're badass women excelling in your field, doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Like I said in my pitch, you have to create opportunities in order to get things done."

Liza grinned and clapped lightly. "That's fantastic!"

"What's fantastic?" Charles came up behind Quinn, flashing her a quick smile as he handed a glass of champagne to Liza. Liza couldn't help but notice the look Quinn gave him, like he was a prize steer up for auction.

"Quinn just informed me that she is going to be our newest author. She's going to publish Claw with Millennial."

"That is fantastic! Here," He handed his glass of champagne to Quinn and swiped a third from a passing tray. "Congratulations." The three clinked glasses and took a sip.

"We should take our seats, Liza. Quinn." He nodded at the brunette, noting the way she seemed to be blatantly checking him out. He flashed her a small smile as he placed a hand on Liza's lower back, pulling her close to him. He wanted to make it clear to her that he was a very happily taken man. They got to the table at the same time as Lauren and Kelsey. Liza pulled up a chair next to Kelsey and leaned in close.

"Kelsey, we need to talk." The blonde turned to her begrudgingly. "Come here for just a minute." Liza stood, grabbing Kelsey's hand and pulling her into a dark corner of the room.

"What the hell, Liza. Seriously?"

"I've got something to say to you, okay. I know you don't think that I have your back, but you couldn't be more wrong. I am here for you, every step of the way."

Kelsey sighed tiredly, rolling her shoulders back. "I just feel like you're pulling away from me, Liza. You're one of my best friends, and I barely see you except at work anymore." She held up a hand to Liza. "I know that you're going to say that you're here for me, but I just need you to hear this. I'm so happy for you and Charles, I am. You're great together. But you've been pulling away from all of us. Me, Lauren, Maggie, Josh. We used to be so close and now we barely get to see you. And at work you're not even really working with me that much anymore. Only one of the books you are working on is a Millennial book."

"Two, actually. Quinn just told me she is signing with us."

Kelsey's jaw visibly dropped; her eyes wide. "What?!"

"It's true. She just told me. That's part of why I wanted to talk to you. I mean it when I say I'm not going anywhere. I'm not the new, green assistant anymore. I'm not dating Josh anymore. My life has changed, but your place in it hasn't. I'm really sorry about the article, Kels, but you have to know that it wasn't some malicious plot to take attention away from you."

"I know." Kelsey exhaled shakily, pushing her bangs away from her face. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch this morning. Lauren read me the riot act when I told her what I did. She said you'd never do anything like that to me. I just got caught up in my own selfish little world."

"So, we're good?"

Kelsey smiled and nodded, holding her arms out, and Liza stepped into them, embracing her friend. "Always, Liza. I'm sorry."

"That was unexpected!" Liza cried as she and Charles stepped into the foyer, dripping water all over the wooden floor. They'd had the town car drop them off a few blocks away from the house, deciding to enjoy the crisp, cool air. The rain had started about 5 minutes into the walk and even though they had sprinted as quick as they could back to the house, they were both soaked to the bone.

Charles peeled off his jacket and laughed as he glanced at Liza, who was wringing out her hair like it was a wet towel. Her dress was stuck to her, enhancing the shape of the beautiful body underneath, and he could feel that familiar stir of heat in the pit of his stomach.

"Next time, we bring an umbrella." Liza slipped off her black heels and set her clutch on the table nearby. "God, I'm freezing."

"Here," Charles said quietly, stepping towards her and sliding his hand around her narrow waist to pull her close. "Let me warm you up." His mouth closed against hers and she immediately felt the heat of his body. His arms were strong and hard around her, holding her close to him, and she slid her arms around his neck, sinking into the kiss, letting her hands run through his hair and caress his skin, tracing the bulges of muscles in the top of his shoulders and back.

With a single, fluid movement, Charles lifted her, bridal style, and carried her to the couch in the foyer. He sank down onto the cushions with her still in his lap. He kissed her gently, then pressed her back so that she was lying on the sofa next to him. Nestling her back against the pillows, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her whole-body flush against his. Liza smiled to herself as she felt him nuzzle her ear and neck, kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear. She closed her eyes, basking the warmth he radiated, feeling shivers of excitement course down her body as he kissed and nuzzled her neck and ear, his hand caressing her waist, arm, and every now and then, just grazing the swell of her chest. She could feel her desire for him growing with every touch. It was like water to someone dying of thirst. She needed his touch.

She tipped her head slightly so that he could have better access to her neck and throat, and he took full advantage. Charles kissed her sweetly and slowly, murmuring words she couldn't quite hear, and let his tongue touch places that seemed to have a direct electrical connection to every part of her body. His hands soon followed suit to his lips, exploring, caressing, touching, and she felt her own body turn to his, so she, too, could return the favors.

Their lips met and their hands began to trace the hills and valleys of each other's bodies. Liza loved the slow, almost lazy, way that they were exploring each other. It was slow, it was gently, and they both knew where it was leading.

His hand ran down the side of her body, pulling up on the damp skirt of her dress until his fingers touched the bareness of her thigh. Her breath caught, and she instinctively pressed her body closer to his, her hands seeking his own bare flesh. She needed to touch him, to feel him. She just needed him.

"Liza," Charles whispered, his voice husky.

"Mmmmhmmmmm," she managed to whisper against his mouth, her fingers now toying with the buttons on the front of his white dress shirt. He had discarded his tie in the car.

"I want you," his whispered, his lips grazing hers.

She finally undid the last button on his shirt and pushed it open, her hands pressed against the warm, solid flesh of his chest and abdomen. She let her fingers slide across his chest and she heard a little groan escape his throat, and felt his body press closer to hers.

Charles rose suddenly, pulling away from her body. Liza moaned and reached up to pull him back, but instead felt his arms slide under her, lifting her up into his arms, cradling her against him. He pressed his mouth to hers, letting the kiss linger as he held her there, as if she were nothing more than a feather in his arms. He walked them back into the hall and up the stairs, carrying her to the closed door of his bedroom. Their bedroom, he thought, as he lowered his head to kiss her again. He kicked the door open with his foot, stepping into the room and kicking the door shut with his foot. The slamming of the door startled Liza in contrast to the way he was moving, carrying her across the room and lowering her to the mattress as if she was something precious that might break if he dropped her.

She watched, her body feeling heady and warm, as he peeled off his shirt, his eyes never leaving hers. He shed his open shirt, then slid his pants down over his hips, followed by the rest of his clothes. The room was dark and shadowy, but there was no mistaking that he was just as ready for her as she was for him.

She rose from the bed to stand before him, and Charles reached around and pulled the zipper of her dress down, letting it fall and pool at her feet. His hands ran down her body, caressing her skin, and she heard him sigh as his hands moved slowly up her back. His head bowed over her shoulder, and he pressed his lips against her neck, right where it joined her shoulder, sending shivers everywhere. She felt his fingers unhook the closure of her strapless bra, letting the garment fall soundlessly to the floor. His hands followed the bra's descent, caressing the curves of her breasts, waist and hips, his fingers sliding into the side of her panties and sliding them down gently down her thighs. When they, too, were on the floor, he stepped closer to her, drawing their bodies together, and the couple ran their hands over each other's bodies, bringing the smoldering embers of desire into flame.

Charles lifted her again, placing her back on the bed, his eyes caressing her as she lay open to his view.

"You are so beautiful, baby," he whispered. He lay down beside her, letting his hands worship her curves, sighing as he felt her hands explore his body, which was now hard and rigid, wanting nothing more than to become a part of her own. He rolled over her, raising himself up on hands and knees, gazing down into her soft, brown eyes that said clearly that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He lowered his mouth to hers, letting the kiss linger, then kissed her chin, the front of her neck, her collarbone, letting his tongue explore the small hollow at the base of her throat. Her scent was intoxicating, her taste making him ravenous for more. He tasted the soft, white skin of her right breast, kneading the fullness of the left with his hand. He heard a soft moan of pleasure, but he honestly didn't know if it came from him or her.

He felt her writhe beneath him, her hands moving up his chest and down to his hips, her soft softs sighs of pleasure urging him on. She was all woman, exactly the kind of woman he never knew he needed until he met her that fateful day at the office. He'd thought love would be impossible to find again, yet here she was. His body ached for her, and he was torn between taking her now, quickly, completely, satisfying this all consuming lust he had for her that had him aching in need, or ignoring this yearning and drawing out the passion and desire they felt for each other, making the moment last as long as humanely possible.

He groaned as her hands found him then, circling him softly but firmly, and he clenched his teeth, willing restraint. He closed his eyes and rose on his knees, standing now over her as her hands explored him until he could stand no more. He drew back, sighing heavily, working to pull his desire under control as he bent over her again, his lips kissing her stomach and abdomen, letting his tongue circle into the tiny, sunken well of her bellybutton as his hands followed the curve of her hips to her thighs. Her fingers were stroking the top of his head, and he could feel her quiver and sigh under his touch. This moment, he thought, this time is ours and no one else's. This belongs all to us and no one else. His mouth kissed its way down her long, lean torso, reveling in the feel and taste of her, feeling his own body ache with want and lust. His hands cupped her hips, lifting her body up to meet his mouth, and he drank her in like a cup of holy water. This woman was his promise of forever, and he wanted to make her feel like she was the most sacred being in the world. He sighed as his body ached, almost painfully, as he let his mouth and lips worship at the center of her being until he head her cry out, felt her tense and break into a thousand shimmering pieces, her hands reaching blindly for him in the darkness, pulling her to him.

"Charles, I need you. I need you now." She sighed, her breathing heavy.

He rose over her, lowering his mouth to hers, and in one firm but steady movement, his body joined hers. He kissed her deeper as he pushed further into her, holding himself there, not moving, letting his body take in the moment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, telling his body to wait, to enjoy, to savor.

His mouth left hers, closing at the base of her neck as his hands gripped her shoulders as he began moving back and forth, feeling her body tighten around his, feeling her own hips rise to his, welcoming him, beckoning him. He moaned against her skin, moving deep, feeling his body tense in that wonderfully excruciating way, wanting it to go on for hours and at the same time wanting to empty himself deep inside her, wanting to feel her climax against him.

He rose to his knees, grasping her hips and holding her close as he pushed into her harder. Her body was warm and soft, yet like a vise around her. He could feel the tension in her body growing and mounting, and he watched as he brought her closer and closer to the brink. Her eyes closed, and her hands clutched at his as he held her prisoner, locked to him, as he watched her wreath beneath him.

With one last movement he felt his body give up the fight for restraint and he fell forward, catching himself on his hands, holding himself as deep as he could inside her writhing body. Her legs were wrapped around his waist as they had climaxed together, and for a few long moments neither of them could do anything but gasp and breathe.

He gently lowered his body to hers, burying his face against her neck to breath her in. His hands moved to cup her face, and then he lifted his head and kissed her, long and deep. He drew away, his thumbs caressing her face.

"God…I love you," he said in a whisper, letting his thumbs brush the hair away from her face. Her arms came around his neck and pulled him close as she kissed his cheek.

"I love you more," she whispered, peppering his face with kisses as he rolled off of her and pulled the sheets up around them. Charles leaned on his side, propping himself up on an elbow.

"It's you, Liza, it'll always be you," He said, reaching over with one hand to touch her face. "You're the one I want. You're the one I want to come home to after a bad day. You're the one I want to roll over to in the middle of the night and wake up next to everyday, for the rest of my life. You're the one I want to do everything and nothing with. You're the one I want to make happy for the rest of my life. You're the one I want to love, and to hold when times get tough. You're the one I want to be there for when everything in your world comes crashing down. All my good days and all my bad days, you're the one I want to spend them with. Its you. You're it. You're the one. And I swear to you, I have never been so sure about someone or something in my entire life. It's you, and I say this without a single doubt in mind."

He exhaled slowly, watching a slow smile spread across her face as a few tears slid down her cheek. Liza sat up a little, propping herself up on her pillow.

"Have you ever heard the theory about how each person has three people that they truly fall in love with in a lifetime?"

"I don't think so."

"Well the first is our young love, usually in high school or college. It looks right, but it's idealistic, not meant to last. It was love for what you knew love to be. The second is supposed to be the hard one, the one where you really get hurt. It teaches us lessons and makes us stronger. Lies, pain, betrayal, damage. But we grow because of it. You leave that relationship cautious, careful, maybe a little bit closed off. But," she paused, leaning over to kiss him lightly, "Your third love comes blindly. No warning. It creeps up on you silently. You don't go looking for your third love, it comes to you. You can put up any walls you want, but your third love will break them down. You'll find yourself caring about that person without trying, without thinking. They might now look like your usual type, but you'll get lost in their eyes on the daily. You see beauty in their imperfections. You can ultimately hide nothing from them. You want a future with them. You love them, truly, with every fiber of your being." Liza paused again, nuzzling close to Charles.

"You're my third, Charles. You're the last man I'll ever love. The last I'll ever want to love."

He didn't respond verbally, but he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tight around her, conveying to her with every touch that she too, was it for him. There would be no one else.


	37. Absence

"**Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." – F. Scott Fitzgerald, **_**The Great Gatsby**_

And so it did. Summer faded quickly away, bringing in cooler air, crisp breezes and a wave of new beginnings, for which Liza was grateful for. Her life for the past 5 months had been a blur, but as September faded into October life seemed to calm down, to settle in like a fog on a cold morning.

Her article had made waves in the gossip ridden society that was New York publishing, and she had endured some nasty comments when the article was posted to Gawker and The Cut. She had braced herself for the backlash and knew she probably deserved some of the negative comments. Charles had been more upset than she was, which endeared him to her even more, if that was possible. Her lie to him was naught more than a small indiscretion that had faded into his memory.

Redmond had reached out to her several times to tell her that he had received calls from various publishing houses inquiring about turning Liza's article into a fiction novel. The idea intrigued her, much more than the idea of publishing a memoir of sorts, but she had told Redmond that if, and only if, she decided to write a novel, she would have it published in house. Empirical and Millennial was where her story had started, and it would be where her story ended.

The casual air of summer was quickly replaced by the more studious, serious air of autumn as the season changed, bringing with it not only the glorious fall weather but a sense of focus and discipline. Maybe it could be attributed to the onslaught of college students that flooded Manhattan every fall, with their shiny new textbooks and willingness to learn, or the foreboding awareness that the year was quickly coming to an end, but Liza could see it reflected in her friends and family. She'd barely spoken with Caitlin, who was throwing herself into her schoolwork with a dedication that Liza had never seen before. She knew Caitlin was hoping to TA for one of her favorite professors in the spring, and attributed her new enthusiasm for her education to that. Maggie was preparing for a big show in November and was spending most of her time in her art studio, which she cordoned off from the rest of the apartment with a makeshift wall.

The rest of her Millennial friends seemed to be throwing themselves into "the hustle", as they would call it. Lauren was launching her own PR firm after being let go from Hector & Dorff, and was flitting around New York City like a butterfly trying to collect a roster of new clients. Kelsey, much to Liza's surprise, had heeded Liza's recent advice to nip a growing flirtation with her new author, Jake Devereaux, in the bud, and the girl seemed to be focusing her attentions on her work rather than boys, at least for now. Liza secretly hoped that she and Zane could try to work things out – when they weren't competing against each other, they made a great team.

Josh, after much debate and a few long conversations with Liza, had decided to expand Inkburg. His lease on the building had been up for renewal in September, and Liza had come across him one night, drinking alone in the studio and rambling about how there wasn't anything left for him in New York. They both knew that they were over, but Liza didn't want to lose Josh as a friend. They were finally getting to a good place, and she wanted him in her life. So he renewed his lease for 5 more years and hired a contractor to remodel the studio. He was keeping the renovations under lock and key, and Liza couldn't wait to see what he did with the place.

And finally, she and Charles, simply put, were just about perfect as could be. The weeks following their trip to Greece had been tumultuous and most of September had passed in a blur. Between the Moore scandal, her article, finalizing the divorce and getting Bianca and Nicole settled into a school routine again they hadn't had much time to themselves. They made every moment count, whether it was a quiet moment alone in the office or washing dishes at the brownstone. They both knew that they were starting to lay the foundation for a life together, and they both wanted it to be a strong one.

It was now the first Friday in October, and Charles had persuaded Liza to take a half day. He had a surprise for her, one that required a hour and a half drive outside the city. In a dual effort to both boost moral at the office and not make it seem like Liza was receiving special treatment he had sent out a memo to the entire company yesterday offering a half day to anyone who wished to utilize it. He had noticed in the weeks following the L.L. Moore scandal that his staff had seemed more subdued than normal. For as long as he could remember Empirical had been a happy company, a business that people wanted to work for. His father and grandfather had both run a tight ship, but they had treated their people well. The pay was good, hard work had been rewarded and acknowledged, the atmosphere one that promoted teamwork and fostered talent. Holidays and birthdays and babies and weddings were celebrated and Charles was ashamed to admit that a lot of that had fallen to the wayside under his care. With the exception of the summer picnic, he couldn't remember the last time a holiday party had occurred. He'd ran these concern past Liza a few nights ago as they curled up together in their bed at the brownstone. He felt a little thrill whenever he thought of his home as their home, his bed as their bed. It was stupid things like that that made him feel positively giddy, his body just radiating his love for her. He was completely and utterly hooked on her. Liza had suggested having a Halloween party. It'd be easy to throw together, a fun way to spend time with his employees without going to too much trouble.

Liza had spend the better part of the drive on Friday afternoon jotting down notes and texting with Diana about planning the party. Charles kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as he navigated them out of the city and upstate, the high rises fading to lush countryside that was slowly turning red and gold. Fall in New York truly was one of the most beautiful times of the year.

"Where are we?" Liza asked, tucking her phone and notepad back into her purse as Charles slowly wove the car through a residential neighborhood. "Also," she asked again, looking out the window, "Why are we here?"

Charles chuckled as he pulled up to gated drive at the end of the street. There were quite a few houses nearby, but the trees were plentiful and lush, giving each house the illusion of privacy. "You'll find out in a second," he replied, reaching over to squeeze Liza's knee as he rolled down the window to buzz them into the property. "But I need you to close your eyes."

It was Liza's turn to chuckle. "Close my eyes? Are we 12?"

The gate swung open and Charles inched the car forward. "Just humor me. It's a surprise, and I want you to get the full effect."

Sighing, Liza complied, closing her eyes and putting her hands over her face for dramatic effect. Charles shook his head, still laughing, and pulled the car up the driveway.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Liza asked impatiently, sighing through her hands.

"Not quite yet. Trust me, babe, it'll be worth it." Charles couldn't help but grin as he pulled the car into the circular drive, parking behind a black Lexus. "Just hold on. I'm going to get the door."

Liza sighed, but couldn't keep the smile off her face hidden behind her hands. Charles sounded so excited, so giddy, like a kid on Christmas Eve. She heard Charles open her door and reach in by her to unbuckle her seatbelt. She could smell him as he leaned past her, a sexy combination of aftershave, cologne and coffee.

"Watch your step," he said as he guided her out of the car. Her booted feet hit gravel, and she could smell cut grass and fall leaves.

"Just a couple steps this way." Charles wrapped his hand around hers, walking her past the car.

"Okay," he announced, bringing her to stop, "you can open your eyes."

Liza opened her eyes and pulled her hands away, blinking a few times to readjust to the sunlight. What she saw before her was one of the pretties houses she had ever seen. It was more an estate than a house, looking like something plucked out of the English countryside and dropped into a neighborhood in upstate New York.

"What is this?" Liza turned to Charles, wide-eyed and breathless.

"Well, it's ours." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "If you like it, that is."

"Charles, it's gorgeous. But…." She trailed off as he leaned in and kissed her. At the same time the front door swung open and a pristinely dressed older blonde woman stepped out onto the stone pathway that led to the front door.

"No buts," he whispered, reaching down and squeezing her hand. "Just take a look around."

"Have you already bought this?" Liza asked, a little incredulous.

"No, but I want to. I want this place to be ours, Liza. I fell it love with it when I saw it. I think you will too. C'mon." He tugged on her hand gently, pulling her towards the front door.

The realtor, Samantha, who Charles was already acquainted with, took them on a grand tour of the house. Liza couldn't help but fall in love with the place as they went from room to room. She couldn't decide what she loved most – probably the look on Charles's face as he watched her take everything in. She could see them there, and not just them, all the people they loved. She could see Maggie delighting over the country garden right outside the kitchen and cooking gigantic family meals in the pristine chef's kitchen. She could see Caitlin playing tennis with Charles on the court while she lounged in the pool and Bianca and Nicole ran around the lush green yard. It was a 10 acre property with lots of woods and walking trails. She could see she and Charles taking walks in the evening on those trails, holding hands and sipping wine. She could imagine she and Charles holed up in the study, reading books by the fireplace or sipping margaritas with Kelsey and Lauren on the covered patio. She could imagine Thanksgiving dinners and Easter egg hunts and Christmas mornings. It was everything she could ever want in a home.

Samantha excused herself from the group to answer a call as they walked back across the lawn towards the house. Charles stepped up into the garden and leaned against the stone wall. "So," he started, "what do you think?"

"I love it. I do. It's absolutely beautiful."

"I thought you'd think so. It's like something out of an Austen novel." He cocked his head towards her as he saw a glimpse of hesitation on her face. "Tell me what you're thinking, Liza."

"I just," she paused, pacing across the grass a few feet in front of him. "I want to make sure you're doing this because it's something that you want to do. Not just because it's what you think I want. This place can't be cheap and I know things are in flux at work with everything that's happened with Moore and I just don't want you to risk everything you've built to try to make me happy. I don't care if we live in a box, Charles. Home is wherever I'm with you."

"Liza," he said softly, reaching out to take her hand and pull her to him, nestling her between his legs. "The money isn't an issue. I've got the money from Pound Ridge, which is more than enough to cover a very, very hefty down payment. This place has been on the market for awhile, and the people selling it are getting desperate."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Liza, I'm sure. I didn't want to bring you up her to show you this unless I was sure. I made an offer earlier this week, and they accepted it. Less than 2/3 of the asking price. It's the steal of a lifetime, actually. I haven't signed anything yet. And we're in Chappaqua, which is only an hour away from Vassar, so Caitlin can come down anytime."

"I love that you thought of that."

"Well," Charles said, leaning in to kiss Liza's forehead. "I'm kinda crazy in love with her mom." He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Truth is, when I came up here a few weeks ago, I walked around this place and all I could see was us, our families, our friends. I can see us here."

"I can too. But," She leaned back, looking Charles in the eyes. "I want to help. Financially."

Charles took her in for a moment, the serious look on her face. This was a battle he was going to lose, and he needed to accept that. "Okay. Whatever you're comfortable with. I want us to share this together."

"Okay." Liza stood and straightened, this time reaching out to take Charles's hand. "Let's go make a deal."

***Here's the link to the house I'm imagining: homedetails/30-Hemlock-Hls-Chappaqua-NY-10514/33064864_zpid/?mmlb=g,15

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"I can't believe you decided to turn this party into a costume party," Kelsey sighed, flicking a hanger with a flimsy fairy costume to one side of the rack. It was a rainy Thursday night, Charles was at a parent teacher conference with Pauline for Bianca, and Kelsey had dragged her out of the loft in search of the "perfect" costume for the Empirical Halloween party.

"Oh, stop, it'll be fun." Liza held up a fuzzy pink getup. "Sexy bunny?"

Kelsey rolled her eyes, "No, thank you. And it'll be fun for you. You've got a hot guy to dress up with. I'm flying solo."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Kels. You're a badass executive killing it at work. Besides, I think you going solo for awhile might do you some good. You've gone from relationship to relationship – you could use a break. Focus on yourself for awhile."

"Easy for the booed up girl to say."

"I'm speaking from experience. Hey, how about this?" Liza pulled a black flapper dress off of a rack. "Go as a flapper. Roaring 20s. Pearls, feathers, flapper dress. Very literary."

Kelsey arched an eyebrow, taking the fringed black dress from Liza and examining it. "What are you guys going as? Some cheesy couple's costume, am I right?"

"Superman and Wonderwoman," Liza blushed and giggled as Kelsey rolled her eyes.

"Of course you are. You've got the legs for it, at least. What are the girls dressing up as?"

"Anna and Elsa, what else? I'm sure I'll be screening it at least a few times this weekend. I'm watching them all weekend while Charles is going to meet some potential investors at a conference in Chicago and Pauline is leaving for Boston Saturday afternoon to visit her sister. Caitlin and her roommate are coming down for the night tomorrow. I was thinking about doing a girls night or something on Saturday. You, me, Lauren, Maggie, maybe even Diana."

"You're using that as a selling point?" Kelsey said sarcastically as she picked up a long strand of costume pearls and a feather headband to go with the dress.

"Hey, she's not as, uh, high strung, as she used to be. I'm attributing that to Enzo. I like them together."

"Me too. They're disgusting, but like, in a cute way. Like you and Charles. I'm ready to cash out. You good?"

"I'm going to ignore that statement. But yeah, I'm good. I've already got our costumes."

"Not going to lie, I'm kind of scared to see Charles in Superman tights." Kelsey made a face as the woman behind the counter rang up her costume.

"Ahh, he's going to do more of the sexy, Clark Kent superman. You know, glasses and the superman costume underneath his work clothes. No amount of bribery or promise of sexual favors was going to get him to wear tights."

"Too many visuals I didn't need." Kelsey stuck out her tongue and shook her head. "C'mon, let's get you home to Clark."

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"I don't want you to go." Liza sighed, resting her head against Charles' chest and pulling the down comforter up around them. The only light in the room was a candle on her nightstand, casting a faint, flickering glow around the room. The rain was still coming down hard, rattling against the glass in the windows.

"I'll be back on Sunday," Charles yawned, sleepily, pulling Liza closer to him and wrapping an arm around her bare shoulder. "You sure you're going to be okay with the girls for 3 days?" He didn't have a doubt, but he didn't want her to feel obligated.

"I can't wait."

"They can't either. All they talked about on the way home was their weekend with you."

"It'll be fun. Caitlin and Rose are coming down for the weekend, so they'll get to spend some time with them, too."

"You know," Charles started, "Bianca's teacher mentioned something to us at the conference tonight…."

"Hmmm?"

"She, uh, apparently told her teacher that she had two mommies."

Liza sat up, propping herself up on an elbow. "She did?!"

"Yeah, uh," Charles chuckled quietly, "I probably shouldn't laugh under the circumstances, but her teacher thought that that you were Pauline's girlfriend. It didn't occur to her that she was talking about my girlfriend."

"Oh god. How did Pauline react?" Liza was worried that any progress she had made with Pauline would be set back by this.

"Surprisingly well. She actually suggested that we put you on the emergency contact list. If anything ever happens. Plus you'll be able to pick the girls up from school and stuff like that."

"Charles," Liza said softly, feeling her heart swell and tears creeping into her eyes. It touched her that he trusted her so much as to entrust his children to her. "That means a lot."

"It was Pauline's idea."

"I know," Liza paused and shifted so that she was atop Charles. "I don't think she would be as enthusiastic about my method of thanks as you might be." She lowered her head to kiss him, pressing her body against his.

"Can't argue with that."

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"What do you think, girlies?" Liza stood back and surveyed the room before her. She'd picked the girls up at school on Friday and they had spent the last few hours getting ready for movie night.

She by no means wanted to replace Pauline in any way, but the maternal part of her felt absolutely thrilled that the girls, or Bianca at the very least, considered her to be their "second mom". It made her heart swell, and she'd fallen even more in love with the girls, if that was possible, when she'd picked them up from school and they had come running out to her and hugged her, wrapping their tiny arms around her waist. She'd gotten a few glances from some of the other women picking up their children, but cast those from her mind and loaded the girls up into her SUV.

The girls were now sitting on the floor, sorting through a pile of DVD's. Liza had made cookies and homemade pizza, which were both baking in the oven, and had brought over all the fixings for mani-pedis.

"Lizzzzahh," Nicole clomped over to her. "Bianca won't let me pick the first movie and you said I could."

"Bianca," Liza called. "You can pick the second movie, okay? Besides, you're going to get the first pedicure. Did you decide what color you want?"

"Purple! Or pink! Or glitter." Bianca dropped the DVD she was holding and ran over to the little table that Liza had dumped several bottle of nail polish on and began sorting through them.

The doorbell rang and Nicole abandoned the stack of movies to run to the door. Liza stood and smiled to herself as she heard Caitlin's voice.

"Hey, baby girl." She pulled Caitlin into a tight hug before holding her at an arms length and examining her. Her hair was pulled back into a braid and she wore jeans and a Vassar sweatshirt. Tired, maybe, but she looked good. "Where's Rose?"

"Her parents called on the way down and asked to take her out to dinner, so she's meeting them." Caitlin slipped out of her shoes and flopped onto the couch, turning her head back briefly to smile at her. Liza loved how comfortable she was getting here and couldn't wait to take her up to the house. She'd sent her pictures and had already picked out a room for her.

"So, what are we watching tonight?" Caitlin pulled Bianca onto her lap and hugged her as she asked Nicole, who had resumed her search of the movies.

"This one." She held out a case, smiling triumphantly.

"Parent Trap. Excellent choice. Lindsay Lohan at her finest."

"Who's Lindsay Lohan?" Bianca quipped.

"Oh god, now I feel old." Caitlin laughed.

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Liza awoke slowly on Saturday morning, blinking away the sleep from her eyes as the room came into focus. Lifting her head off the pillow, she saw three distinct lumps under the comforter, Caitlin's mop of blonde hair sticking out from a divot in the pillow. Bianca and Nicole lay nestled between them, snoozing away peacefully. Smiling, Liza reached over to unplug her phone from the charger and swiped the camera open, taking a few selfies of her and the sleeping trio next to her. She attached one to a good morning text to Charles. His response was almost instantaneous.

_Wish I was there to spend the weekend with my girls. How was movie night?_

_Wish you were here too, babe. It was good – Parent Trap, Frozen, and an intense hour of Disney princess karaoke. Think B & N might sleep till noon._

_Can't wait to be back tomorrow night. I miss sleeping next to you._

Liza smiled to herself, her heart warming at his message. She knew without a doubt that he meant it. She felt the same way. Being apart from him, if even for a day or two, was hard.

_Me too. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, or something like that, right?_

_I don't think I could be any fonder of you if I tried, my love. _

Liza sighed, contentedly, clutching the phone to her chest and resting back onto the pillow. How did she get so lucky? He was everything she had ever wanted, everything she had ever dreamed of. Life couldn't get much better than this.

"Liza?" Nicole shifted next to her, turning her tiny body towards Liza and snuggling into her shoulder.

"Good morning, sunshine. Did you sleep good?"

Nicole nodded, resting her hand on Liza's arm. "Mmhmm. Can I ask you a question, Liza?" The little girl bit her lip nervously as she shifted so she was sitting up a little bit.

"Of course. You can always ask me anything, Nicole."

"Are you and Daddy going to have a baby?"

Liza coughed, quickly covering her hand with her mouth to quiet herself. "Why would you ask that Nicole?"

"My friend Ashley said that when people love each other, they have babies. Her mommy is having a baby."

"Well, she's right. But just because two people love each other doesn't mean that they have to have a baby. I love your dad very much. Like, a lot. But we're not going to have a baby. We already have you! And Bianca, and Caitlin. You're our family."

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Nicole settled back against the pillow. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Can I have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast?"

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45 minutes later Caitlin came downstairs as Liza was sliding a stack of pancakes onto a platter, looking desperately like she needed a cup of coffee.

"Is Bianca still asleep?"

When Caitlin nodded, Liza frowned. "She usually is the first one up on the weekend. I'm gonna go check on her." Slipping her apron off Liza took the steps quickly to the master bedroom. Cracking open the door she saw Bianca still passed out in the middle of the bed. Liza leaned down next to her, gently rubbing her back.

"Bianca, sweetie, it's time to wake up." The girl shifted, her eyes opening slowly.

"I don't feel good." Bianca whined, groggily, turning flat on her back. Liza smoothed back her hair and felt her forehead. It was a little warm.

"Where does it hurt, honey?"

"My tummy."

"It's probably just a stomach ache. Do you want to stay up here or come downstairs and lay down on the couch."

"Downstairs." Liza pulled the blankets off of her and Bianca crawled into her lap, wrapping her arms around Liza's neck and clinging to her like a spider monkey.

A few hours later Bianca's fever had gotten a bit worse and the stomach pain increasing. Liza tried everything in her mom handbook to make the poor kid feel better. Ginger ale and crackers, a bubble bath, cold and hot compresses, but nothing. She texted Charles just after lunch, but hadn't heard a response. So she resumed her spot next to Bianca on the couch, leaning down to feel her forehead again. She was burning up. A thought suddenly occurred o her.

"Bianca, can you tell me where on your stomach it hurts?"

When she clutched her right side, Liza sprang into action, shouting for Caitlin and Nicole.

"Girls, get your things. Nicole, can you grab shoes and a jacket for your sister?" Liza gestured for Caitlin to follow her into the foyer. Slipping on a pair of shoes, Liza said quietly. "I think she has appendicitis. I'm taking her to the hospital." She grabbed her cellphone and dialed Charles' number. "Can you go get coats and shoes on the girls?" she asked Caitlin, as the phone rang.

"Charles, I think Bianca has appendicitis. She says her right side hurts and her fever just spiked, so I'm taking her to the hospital. Call me when you get this."

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Liza paced outside Bianca's room an hour later while the doctor checked in on her, glancing down at her phone every 30 seconds.

"Mom, you're going to wear a whole into the floor. Why don't you sit down?" Caitlin reached out from her spot next to Nicole in an attempt to pull Liza down into the chair next to her, to no avail. Liza had left messages for both Charles and Pauline but hadn't heard back from either of them, and she had reached a new level of panic. If Bianca needed surgery, and she likely would, Liza couldn't give consent. Would they have to wait for one of her parents to get there, potentially making it worse?

Liza's phone rang suddenly, the shrill noise startling her so much that her phone almost slipped out of her hand.

"Pauline! Thank god!" Liza paused and Caitlin took the opportunity to pull her mom down into a chair.

"Is she alright?" Pauline's usually lilted voice was full of the same concern and worry that filled Liza.

"Yes. I mean, they're getting her ready for a cat scan, just to make sure, but it looks like appendicitis. She'll likely need surgery."

"Oh god. Listen, I'm on my way back. I'm just outside Stamford and I just turned around. I'll be there by," there was a pause as Pauline checked her GPS. "I should be there around 3. Have you heard from Charles?"

"No. I called him a couple times but he's in meetings all afternoon. I'll try calling him again as soon as I'm off the phone with you."

"I'll call him." Pauline said brusquely. "She's our daughter, after all. Is her doctor there? I'd like to speak to him."

Biting her tongue, Liza knocked on the door to Bianca's room, pushing it open gently. A pretty redheaded nurse was helping Bianca into a wheelchair as the doctor, a kindly grey-haired gentleman, looked over her chart.

"We're just getting her situated to take her up for her scan."

Liza nodded, flashing a reassuring smile to a pale faced Bianca. "Okay. Uh, I have her mother on the line. Pauline Turner. She'd like to speak with you for a moment, if that's alright." Liza held out her cell phone to the doctor before leaning down by Bianca.

"How you feeling, kiddo?" She smoothed back the little girls' hair and leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"Not good. But Dr. Martin said that they're going to make me feel better. Have you talked to Daddy yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm trying." The doctor stepped back into the room and handed Liza's phone back to her. Between her calls and texts to Charles and Pauline she'd barely taken her hands off of it, and she could feel the heat emanating off of the small device.

"We're going to take her up for her scans now, Ms. Miller. Probably about an hour. Her mother did give verbal consent for an appendectomy, but I imagine she'll be here not long after we finish the test. Have you spoken to her father yet?"

"I'm trying, but he's at a conference in Chicago. Probably in a meeting. I'll keep trying him though." She waved her phone in her hand as the doctor nodded, leaning down to give Bianca one more kiss before the nurse wheeled her off. "Should we wait here?"

"Yes, we'll bring her right back down as soon as she's done." The doctor turned and walked away, leaving Liza to lean back into a chair. She hated hospitals. Always had, but it'd gotten worse when her mom got sick. She spent hours and days there, drinking bad coffee and listening to the tones and beeps coming from all the machines. And the smell. Chemical with a touch of sick. It made her stomach churn and her head ache. She wanted Charles here. She needed him here.

She'd just begun to close her eyes for a moment when her phone rang again, and she sprung out of her seat when she saw who it was.

"Charles, thank god," she sighed, relieved.

"Liza! I just got your messages. What's happening?" His voice was laden with panic, and she could hear him climbing into a car. She relayed everything up to her conversation with the doctor, pausing every few moments to let him ask questions, or sigh, or curse.

"I'm on my way to the airport right now. Can you drive a little faster?" She heard him bark at the driver. She could feel the tension in his voice, couldn't imagine how he felt at this moment. "Okay, Pauline's calling me. I'll text you when I'm boarding, okay?"

"Okay. I love…," she started, but he had already disconnected.

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"Mom!"

Nicole's voice pulled Liza out of her half sleep, her hand wrapped around Bianca's as the girl slept, Liza's head resting on the hospital mattress. Looking up, Pauline stood in the doorway, her face awash with worry. Liza stood as Nicole went to her mother, wrapping her arms around her.

"How's she doing?" Her eyes flickered briefly to Liza before she leaned in, lowering her head to Bianca's forehead.

"Alright, given the circumstances. The doctor gave her a morphine drip for the pain."

"I'd like to speak with him."

"Caitlin, can you stay with them for a few minutes?" Liza opened the door to the hallway, following Pauline outside. "I'll walk you down to the nurses station so that they can get the doctor for you."

Pauline turned, squaring her shoulders to face Liza, her expression cool. "Thank you for bringing her, but you and Caitlin can go. I'm here now, and I can handle things."

"Excuse me?"

Pauline stepped up to her, her face just inches from Liza's. "In case you've forgotten, Liza, I'm still their mother. I call the shots. You don't. You can go."

Infuriated, Liza straightened herself to her full height, looking down at Pauline. She couldn't believe that she was choosing this moment to pick at this. "I'm not going anywhere, Pauline. I know I'm not their mom, but I love them regardless. I love them like they're my own. I'm not leaving, so you better just get used to it. I'm here for the long haul." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms. "The nurses station is down the hall on your left." With one last glare at Pauline she spun on her heel and walked back into Bianca's room, closing the door firmly behind her.

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A half an hour after Bianca is wheeled to an operating room, Liza finds herself staring out the window at the city before her. The lights are starting to shine brighter as dusk comes near, a hazy glow cast over the city. After her attempt to return to Bianca's room with Pauline resulted in a heavy sigh and a pointed glare she recused herself to the waiting room down the hall. She'd sent Nicole home with Caitlin – it was just a waiting game now.

She wished Pauline would just get over things. The divorce was final and it was time to move on. Liza realized that the whole "two mommies" comment from Bianca was probably getting to her, but it wasn't like Liza had coached her into saying those things. The truth was, she probably did spend more time with the girls than Pauline did. Charles had them during the week and every other weekend, and Pauline saw them a few evenings during the week and the rest of the weekends. Liza was practically living with Charles, and had gotten into the habit of packing their lunches and checking their homework every night before bed. She'd forgotten how much she loved doing little things like that.

"Liza!"

The voice was like molten lava to her body, sending shockwaves of warmth through her body as soon as she heard him. Spinning on the spot she saw Charles striding towards her, jumping around a few chairs to sweep her up in his arms.

"I got here as soon as I could." He said, his voice muffled as he buried his head in her hair.

"It's alright. She's in surgery right now, but she'll be fine. It only takes about an hour, according to the nurse. Hey…" she said softly as she saw him pull away and rub a hand over his face. All she could see in his eyes was panic and worry, and it broke her heart. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I wasn't here. I should have been here."

She leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek. "You're here now. That's all that matter Charles. No one could have known this was going to happen."

"Thank god you were there. God, Liza, I don't know what I would do without you." He sighed, trying to release all the tension that had built up in his body over the last few hours. His heart had dropped through his stomach when he saw all the missed messages and calls from Liza. He'd flown out of that conference room, abandoning the room of investors he had been attempting to woo. He'd made the next flight to JFK with 10 minute to spare. "Where's Pauline? And Nicole?"

Liza took his hand and started to lead him down the hall. "I sent Nicole home with Caitlin. I'll check in with her in a bit. And Pauline's down here in Bianca's room. She's…," Liza paused, "she's not very happy with me."

"I really don't care what she thinks. I'm just glad that you're hear with me. I couldn't do this without you." He paused outside the room, pulling her close to him. Just having her near him did wonders to his nervous system, calming him down better than any drug in this hospital.

Liza met his gaze with hers, searching his blue eyes. "You don't have to. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."


	38. Halloween

AN: Sorry for the long wait for a new chapter! I've been insanely busy with work and wedding festivities for my sister's wedding! It's a short one, but I want to save my energy for some longer Thanksgiving and Christmas chapters coming up. Enjoy! ****

The week following Bianca's surgery passed slowly for Liza, as Charles had opted to work from home most every day. Pauline had scarcely left her daughter's side and while Liza didn't blame her, it made for awkward conversation at the dinner table and Liza had spent her nights at the loft with Maggie. She loved the loft, and she adored her best friend, but it didn't feel quite like home anymore. A certain Upper East Side brownstone had creeped in and taken top billing in that regard.

Nicole's birthday passed quietly the following weekend, just the way she liked it. Liza had thought, for quite a while, that Nicole was not too fond of her, but it had turned out that the young girl was just modest, reserved, and a tad shy. Liza loved that their relationship had improved over the last few months, but noticed that Nicole often took a backseat to Bianca's bubbly personality and goofy antics. She was very much like her father – steadfast, calm, and quite the bookworm. She and Charles had presented her with their gift, the first edition of Alice in Wonderland that they had unearthed in Santorini, and Nicole treated the book with the reverence of a true bibliophile.

The following Friday, the day of the Empirical Halloween party, Liza received a text shortly after arriving to the office hand in hand with Charles. Bianca had returned to school two days before and her mother's presence at the brownstone was minimal, so Liza had spent last night with Charles and her two favorite preteens.

_Can we have lunch today? I'd like to speak with you._

Liza paused in the hallway, one hand reaching out to grasp Charles' jacketed arm. He was a step ahead of her and stumbled as Liza pulled him backwards.

"Pauline just texted me."

His eyebrows shot up as he frowned and glanced down at Liza's phone.

"What does she want?"

"She wants to talk to me about something. She wants to have lunch." They continued walking, passing the bullpen as they strode to Charles' office.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, sliding his jacket off and tossing his briefcase onto his desk.

"I think I have to go, don't I? Ignoring her will just make it worse."

Charles sighed as he sat down behind his desk, leaning back in his chair. He was worried what Pauline had up her sleeve. He'd barely been able to tolerate her playing house taking care of Bianca. She'd slept in the spare room for a few nights and had been arriving at the crack of dawn and not leaving until bedtime for the past week. He hadn't been able to see Liza outside of the office for over a week and boy, had he missed her.

"You're probably right," he smiled at Liza as she came around his desk and sat down on his lap. "You usually are." He glanced at the open door before leaning in and kissing her. "I've got a meeting this afternoon, so I guess I'll see you at home after work?"

"Sounds good to me. I'll be spending all afternoon listening to Diana yell at the party planner anyways."

"So there's no chance of me kissing you hard enough to forget that this is a costume party?"

Liza grinned as she slid off his lap, leaning over to straighten his tie. "Not a chance, Superman. You can try, though, if you want." She kissed him quickly before sauntering to the door, tossing her hair over her shoulder and flashing him a wide smile before heading to her desk.

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"Liza!"

Liza had barely stepped into the restaurant when she heard Pauline's soft voice calling to her from a booth by the window. Handing her coat to the hostels she sidestepped a waiter and weaved through the maze of tables, sliding into the seat across from Pauline. As always, she looked effortlessly flawless – her hair pinned back loosely, not a dab of makeup out of place. Liza's hands went automatically to her hair, smoothing down the stands that had been flying around in the wind outside.

"Pauline." She smiled politely as she accepted a glass of water from the waitress. She hadn't spoken more than a sentence or two with Pauline since their flare up at the hospital.

Pauline leaned back, clasping her hands together in her lap. "I can see you're still upset with me, so I think I'll cut right to the chase. I'm sorry, Liza. For how I behaved at the hospital. For how I've treated you since I found out about you and my husband."

"Ex-husband," Liza corrected.

"Yes, ex-husband."

"Why now, Pauline? Why apologize now? You're so hot and cold with me, I never know what to expect. You know, it's been really hard for me to not be around Bianca as she recovers. She's really important to me, but I kept my distance because of you."

"I know you care about my daughters. That means a lot to me. I think I'm just realizing that there's no benefit in making things difficult. I need to focus on my kids, on my writing, not on making this situation harder than it already is."

"I don't disagree." The two paused their conversation for a moment to order lunch.

"I think seeing how the girls adore you was what did it. They love you, and as much as that hurt me and made me jealous for awhile, I see now that it's a good thing. They were…" Pauline paused for a moment, a pained expression crossing her face. "They were lucky to have you in their lives when I wasn't. I'm not going to pretend to know anything about your relationship with their father, but if he saw how much the girls love you, and how much you love them, then it's no wonder that things played out like they did."

"That means a lot, Pauline. Truly."

Pauline smiled as their salads were set in front of them and she turned her head down, fiddling with her napkin.

"I can't promise that things will always go smoothly, but I'll try my best. I, uh, I realize that you are probably going to around for the long haul and that I need to adjust. Nicole told me that you two are buying a house upstate?"

It wasn't really a question but by the expression on her face Pauline was clearly looking for confirmation.

"Yes, we are. We close in two weeks." She was elated and if everything went according to plan, she and Charles would be hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner at the new house.

"That's nice." She nibbled on a piece of lettuce, reminding Liza of Caitlin's pet rabbit. "Things didn't turn out how I thought they would, how I hoped, but I'm glad he's happy. That we both are."

Liza smiled back, not sure how to respond, and turned the conversation towards easier topics, like the girls. They chatted animatedly for a few minutes about the plans for Halloween (Charles and Liza would be taking them to the party for an hour or two tonight and Pauline would pick them up and would be taking them trick or treating tomorrow) before Pauline shifted the conversation to work. Liza took a few minutes to explain the post L.L. Moore changes, about how she was taking a step back from Millennial.

"I'm surprised that Kelsey is doing so well without you there to support her."

"Kelsey is killing it. She's always been the cornerstone of the imprint. And I'm not completely out of the picture, just splitting my time."

"I always admired your partnership, and not only because it benefitted my book. You two complete each other, professionally. It's pretty amazing to watch."

"So how is life as a full-time author?"

"Honestly? I've been blocked on my sequel."

"That surprises me."

"I thought it would be easier. Starting out, I was so hurt by Charles asking for the divorce, upset about his relationship with you. I wrote a few chapters, but reading it back, my voice was so vindictive. I didn't like it. The truth is, Liza, I should have stayed at Millennial. I should have stayed with you, Liza."

"I don't know about that, Pauline."

"No. You were a dream editor, Liza. You always knew how to get the best pages out of me."

"And I loved your book, but those weeks working with you, it almost killed my relationship with Charles. It was terrible."

"Liza, you understood me in a way my new editors don't. Maybe you could just read one or two chapters."

"You want my help."

"I need your help. Your opinion. Just tell me if this is going anywhere or if I need to scrap it and start over. I just thought that now, if we're burying the hatchet, you could just read what I have so far.

Liza sighed but nodded her head. "I'll take a look."

"Oh, thank you!"

Maybe, Liza thought, watching Pauline fish her pages out of her bag and pass them across the table, maybe we can finally turn the page on this chapter and move on like the adults that we are.

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"I can't believe you're making me wear this." Charles called from the bathroom to Liza as she pulled on her knee high boots.

"Let me see." She turned from her spot on the side of the bed to see Charles pull open the bathroom door. She couldn't help but laugh as he filled the door frame, and took the classis Superman stance. Truthfully, he didn't look that much different. Under his partially unbuttoned white shirt was a superman shirt, his tie flipped over his shoulder. He wore a pair of horn rimmed reading glasses and an amused look on his face.

"Me likey."

"Your turn, Wonderwoman."

"Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking when I picked this out. It's certainly not made for 45 degree weather."

"Oh well." Charles laughed, but his breath caught in his throat as she stood. Her legs were on full display from the top of her knee high boots to the bottom of her sparkly blue skirt. Her hair was blown out and she wore a gold headband and a sparkling golden lasso.

"So?" Liza said nervously, spinning around.

"So," Charles crossed the room and pulled Liza up against him. "Let's stay in."

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"Liza! You look amazing!"

Kelsey tottered over to her, her flapper dress pulled tight across her chest, the feather in her headband askew.

"You look fantastic Kels!" She held her hand out to help Kelsey up onto the barstool. The girl was wearing sky high heels that made Liza's feet hurt just looking at them.

"Guess what Zane showed up wearing?"

"Hmmm?"

"Dressed up as freaking Fitzgerald."

"Did you tell him you were dressing up as a flapper?"

"No! We've barely spoken about anything but work the past few weeks." A guilty look spread across Kelsey's face. There was definitely more to this story.

"Spill, Kelsey. I can read you like a book."

"Was that supposed to be a funny publishing joke? Because it wasn't. Funny, I mean."

Liza stuck her tongue out at her. "Hahaha. Weak attempt at distracting me. What's going on?"

"Uhh, well, I kinda broke my no men pact."

"With Zane?"

Kelsey nodded, groaning and turning around to cover her face with her hands. "I totally backslide with him last weekend. He just showed up."

"Kelsey. Look at me." She nudged the girls arm until she sat up. "If you want to be with him, just go to him. Tell him. He's clearly still into you. And if went to the lengths of snooping around your closet so that he could match up his Halloween costume with yours, he clearly still cares."

"You think so?"

"I'm going to give you the same advice that you gave me when I started dating Charles. Be careful. If you're in, be all in. A relationship with Zane could be wonderful for you, but if it goes south, it doesn't affect just your personal life. You work with him every day. So just tread carefully." Her eyes strayed over to Charles, who stood talking to Diana and Enzo across the room. Almost instinctively he turned his head towards her, flashing her a wide smile that warmed every crevice of her heart.

"I promise you this, Kels – if he's the one, it'll be worth it. The chaos, the heartbreak, everything you've ever suffered. Love, I mean real, true, undeniable love, it's worth it all." 


	39. Thanksgiving

Liza placed her hands on her hips and leaned back, surveying the room in front of her. It was the Saturday before Thanksgiving and she was standing in the living room of the new house, appraising her furniture arranging skills. They'd bought the house partially furnished, so the task of filling the six-bedroom house was slightly less daunting. She had pulled the few pieces of furniture she hadn't sold after selling the house out of storage and had them delivered the week before. Her mother's cherry armoire was nestled into a corner in the dining room, and it had warmed her heart to watch Caitlin, Bianca and Nicole carefully unpack dishes onto the shelves.

She still felt a little thrill whenever she heard Charles call it their house. It was a big step forward in their relationship, even if her contribution paled in comparison to his. The biggest step they'd made thus far. Technically, she thought, he hasn't asked me to move in with him, even though she was practically living at the brownstone. She'd claimed a shelf in the shower and two drawers in the vanity, along with a good portion of the ample closet space. She felt a pang of sadness when she thought of leaving Maggie's and knew her life as she knew it would be changing soon. She hoped.

Smiling to herself she turned, crossing the slate tiled entryway and stepping into the kitchen.

"So, is it usable?"

Maggie stood from where she had been examining the double oven, rolling her eyes and scoffing. "I mean, I guess. If I have to."

Liza smiled warmly at her best friend as she poured a glass of water for herself and sat down at the kitchen island. The kitchen was her favorite room in the house. Warm wooden floors (literally, warm, thank you radiant heat!) and pretty white cupboards. The marble countertop and island were so bright you could practically see your reflection when you looked down. She'd snagged some herbs from Maggie's rooftop planters and transplanted them into small pots that lined the window by the sink. Colorful towels hung on a rack by the stove and she had brought her mother's taped up Betty Crocker cookbook with her today, opening it to her favorite apple pie recipe and setting it on a cookbook holder. Maggie had brought up a box of pots and pans that she would need next week, as she had been propositioned to christen the kitchen by cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

"You do realize that your pantry is bigger than our kitchen at the loft, right?" Maggie asked, amused, as Liza pulled herself out of her little daydream.

"Yeah, and yet there is no pizza cutter. Charles had to cut our pizza last night with a butter knife."

"As an Italian, I'm offended. I thought you bought this place furnished?"

"Partially furnished. They left the big stuff. Beds, couches, dressers, stuff like that. I guess the daughter of the owners came in and cleaned out a lot of the kitchen stuff."

Maggie tilted her head towards the notebook where Liza and Charles were keeping their ever-growing list of things they needed to do or get for the house. "Do you mind?"

Liza shrugged, watching as Maggie started pawing through the drawers, making a list of all the kitchen utensils and products that she thought they should have on hand. Liza chuckled as Maggie swore under her breath in Italian, shaking her head and scribbling out a long list. Liza's eyes strayed out the window and she smiled as she saw Caitlin playing with Bianca and Nicole in a pile of leaves in the little country garden right outside the house.

A door swung shut loudly and Charles stepped into the entryway, his face flushed as he pulled off a pair of heavy gloves. He'd been bringing in firewood and stacking it in the racks that accompanied each of the four fireplaces. Liza turned her head to smile at him, watching as he stripped off his jacket and kicked off the boots. He wore a flannel and jeans, and Liza thought he looked like a sexy lumberjack, straight off the cover of a Belinda LaCroix paperback.

"All set?" Liza asked as he came around behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling him close. He smelled like wood and smoke and coffee.

"Yeah." He jerked his head out the window. "Looks like the girls are settling in nicely."

"Oh yeah. I would have called them in but I'm kinda hoping they tire themselves out. We could use a quiet evening."

"You're not wrong. What're you doing, Maggie?"

Maggie stalked out of the pantry. "Your kitchen is woefully stocked. I'm making a shopping list." With a flourish, she flipped to a second page. "I'm going to need some of this stuff if you expect a halfway decent meal on Thursday."

"You're staying until tomorrow, right? There's a shopping center about 10 minutes from here. You and Liza can go in the morning. I have to take the girls to Pauline's, so you two could drive Liza's car back to the city after."

Maggie shrugged. "Works for me."

Liza nodded in ascension, leaning back against Charles and resting her head against his chest. She felt more contented, more at peace, than she had in months. She couldn't wait for the upcoming holiday. Charles had the girls for Thanksgiving Day, and Caitlin would be coming, as well as Maggie. She and Charles had also agreed to extend an invitation to the newly coupled Kelsey and Zane, who had accepted. Lauren was spending the long weekend in the Hamptons with her family, and Liza didn't know what Josh was doing. She had no intentions of asking. She'd been seeing Josh on an increasingly limited basis, and to be honest, she really didn't miss his presence that much.

The girls blew into the house in a cacophony of giggles, bringing in a scattering of leaves and a gush of cool air.

"So much for raking the leaves, huh?" Liza asked, reaching out and snaking an arm around her daughter.

"Sorry about that. But I mean, it's going to snow soon." Caitlin shrugged, pressing a cold hand to Liza's neck, making her mom squeal and jump off the stool she was sitting on.

"On that note," Caitlin laughed, "I've gotta head back to school. I borrowed Rose's car and she needs it back."

"Okay, kiddo. I'll walk you out." Liza slipped on her jacket and followed Caitlin back outside, her shoes crunching on leaves that were scattered across the pavers leading to the driveway.

"So, you like it?" Liza jerked her head towards the house as she leaned against Rose's black BMW as Caitlin tossed her bag into the back.

"What's not to like? I get my own room and there's a heated pool." Caitlin pushed the back door shut. "Mom, I'm happy that you're happy. Charles is a good guy." She leaned against Liza, wrapping an arm around her Mom's waist. "I love Dad, and do I wish you guys were still together? Of course. All kids want their parents to stay together forever. But you're so happy now, happier than you've been in a long time. I get these two great little sisters and Charles has been so great to me."

"I'm so happy to hear you say that Caitlin. I love you baby girl."

"I love you too, Mom." Caitlin slipped into the driver's seat, rolling down the window to say her goodbye's to Liza.

"You'll call me when you're on the way on Wednesday? And you're sure you don't want me to pick you up from the train station?" Caitlin was spending Wednesday with David before hopping on a train and riding up to Chappaqua.

"Yeah, I'll just take an Uber. It's only like 15 minutes from here, and I don't know what time I'll be in. But I'll call when I'm on the train."

"Okay sweetie. I love you!" Liza stood in the driveway watching as Caitlin pulled out of the circle and down the driveway, the car stereo blaring. She watched the car disappear from view before turning and returning to the rest of her family.

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The house quieted quickly as the afternoon light turned into dusk, with the girls curling up in the den with a copy of High School Musical, Nicole's new obsession. Liza had groaned inwardly when she heard Nicole waxing poetic about the cheesy teen musical last week after school. Caitlin would deny it profusely, but she'd gone through the same obsession in her teens. Liza had the photos of her dressed up as Sharpay to prove it.

Charles disappeared for an hour or so on a mission from Maggie to the local grocery store for the fixings for a spaghetti dinner, leaving the two women to relax in the living room, tempting fate with red wine and a creamy colored couch.

Maggie watched as Liza settled into the seat, watched as her best friend serenely took in her surroundings, a slight smile playing across her lips.

"This suites you."

"Hmmm?" Liza responded, taking a sip of her wine and settling the glass on the coffee table.

Maggie gestured around to the room, the fire crackling in the enormous stone fireplace, the lush lawn visible through the large bay window. "This suites you, Liza. This house, this life. It's everything you deserve."

"Is it?" Liza pulled her feet up on the couch, tucking them underneath her. "Because I constantly feel like the bottom is going to fall out at any moment. I don't want it to, but I feel like my life is a house of cards waiting to be knocked over."

"You feel like that because for the past two years that's been your life. This lie we started, the double life you lived. You're used to feeling like you're hiding something from everyone, and now all that's gone." Maggie cocked her head to one side, watching Liza carefully. "Do you miss it?"

"Lying to everyone?" Liza laughed, rolling her eyes. "No," but she paused, biting her lip. "I think I miss who I was, you know, when this all began. Even if it wasn't real, I got to redo my twenties. I got to be a shadow of the person I wanted to be when I was actually that age. Don't get me wrong, I love my life now, I love what that façade has gotten me."

"Look at it this way," Maggie swallowed the last of her wine and sat up a little straighter. "If your life had played out the way you wanted it, you wouldn't have Caitlin. You wouldn't have this job; you wouldn't have Charles. Or this beast of a house. Honestly, Liza, I think I can hear my voice echo."

Chuckling, Liza shifted on the sofa to lean her head against Maggie's shoulder. "You're the best friend ever, you know that?"

"I do." Maggie wrapped an arm around Liza, pulling her friend tight against her. She could feel the change, the slow shift in their friendship as Liza's relationship with Charles grew stronger. But for now, she'd hold her friend close to her as long as she could.

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Later that evening Charles settled onto the leather couch in the office with a contented sigh, a glass of scotch in one hand and Liza's beat up copy of A Moveable Feast in the other. He hadn't read the book since college and had picked it up a few evenings ago off of Liza's lap as she had fallen asleep reading it. He was forever having to pull her reading glasses off and lay them on the nightstand beside her, and he loved it. There was a quote in the novel that reminded him so distinctly of his relationship of Liza, "We would be together and have our books and at night be warm in bed together with the windows open and the stars bright". It was all he wanted. All he needed, really. He couldn't imagine a life without her in it.

"Mind if I join?" The door cracked open and Maggie stuck her head inside, a glass of red wine in one hand.

"Come on in." Charles leaned over to top off his scotch and set the book down on the end table. The fire in the fireplace was dwindling but was still casting flickering shadows all over the paneled rooms. This was his favorite room. The paneled walls, the fireplace, the floor to ceiling bookshelves against one wall. It was old fashioned and reminded him of his grandfather's home office.

"Where's our girl?" Maggie asked as she sat down on the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Charles marveled at her general sense of ease, the way she seemed comfortable in any environment. He wasn't sure if it was weed or just the way she was, but it impressed him, nonetheless.

"Ahh, upstairs drawing a bubble bath. She's been dying to use that claw foot bathtub in the master bath."

"I don't blame her. This place is a-maz-ing."

Charles chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Yeah, it really is. I still can't believe we found it. It just spoke to me."

"So, you own a house together. When are you going to ask Liza to move in with you?"

He was caught off guard by the bluntness of her question and didn't answer right away. "Do you think I should?", he asked, turning to face Maggie directly. He wanted to ask her but didn't want to spook her.

"I mean, she practically lives with you now. I barely see her." Maggie knocked back what was left of her wine and turned to Charles, sitting cross legged to face him. "I'm not saying I want her to leave. She's my best friend, and I love her like family. But our relationship has changed, and so has yours."

"I just don't want to scare her."

"Charles, honestly, that's ridiculous. Yes, you guys have only been together officially for a few months, but you've known her for two years. And you've been through a lot together. If she hasn't been scared off yet do you honestly think asking her to move with you will do the trick? Liza is one of the strongest, toughest people I know. She's survived divorce, near bankruptcy and started a whole new life for herself. Look at what she's accomplished."

"Well, when you put it that way. I'm probably an idiot for not asking her sooner."

Maggie didn't respond but smiled knowingly at him. "I've got one more question."

"Oh boy."

"If Liza is upstairs naked in the bathtub, why the hell are you down here talking to me?" She smirked as she saw him flush and choke down the swig of scotch he had just taken. Charles stood, setting his empty glass beside her wine glass and leaned down to kiss Maggie on the head.

"Goodnight, Mags. You're the best."

"Don't I know it. Now go on, and don't worry, the walls in this house are so thick that I couldn't hear anything even if I wanted to."

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Liza sunk into the bathtub, a loud sigh escaping her lips as she leaned back against the wall of the tub. She'd overdone it with the bubbles, and a few slipped over the side of the large claw foot tub and ran down to the tile floor. She'd lit a few candles, turned on some quiet acoustic music and poured another glass of wine. She wasn't drunk, but she had a pleasant buzz.

Resting her head against the edge of the tub, she closed her eyes and savored the feeling of the pleasantly hot water against her skin, the scent of the rose oil she had sprinkled into the water. It had been a long day and this bath was exactly what the doctor had ordered.

She almost fell asleep but opened her eyes when she heard the heavy wooden door creak open. Charles stepped into the room and she smiled sweetly back at him. Charles returned her smile and stepped over to her, leaning over the edge of the tub to kiss her gently.

"Beautiful," he murmured against her lips, and Liza could taste the scotch on his lips.

"Hi, handsome," she smiled back at him. "Care to join me?"

Charles arched his eyebrow. "Sure there's room in there for me?"

"I guess we'll just have to see."

Charles smirked at her and moved to pull off his sweater, tossing it onto the floor beside him. Liza sat up and connected eyes with him as he undid the fly on his jeans and pulled them down simultaneously with his briefs. Swallowing hard, Liza licked her lips. He was truly magnificent.

"Let me sit behind you," Charles directed, moving to step into the warm water. Liza moved towards the center of the tub and slide back as she felt him settle in behind her, resting her head against his hard chest. Charles wrapped one arm around her stomach and pulled her flush against him, the water lapping at their bodies. Liza placed one hand on his knee, the other over the hand on her stomach.

"How was your nightcap?" Liza asked quietly, nuzzling her head against him. His fingers glide across her stomach, teasing her.

"Good, but this is much better," he muttered, his lips against her neck. "Maggie and I had a little chat."

"Oh? What about?"

"You." Charles said simply, moving his hand lower underneath the water and eliciting a quiet moan from Liza "And how we both think you should move in with me. If you want to, that is."

Liza sat up straighter in the bath, turning sideways to look at Charles, her eyes bright. "Really?"

"Yes. Liza Miller, will you move in with me? Will you start every morning with me, waking up together and end every day with me, in bed together?"

Liza smiled, reaching up to rest her hand against his face. "There's nothing I want more, Charles." Turning fully, she kneeled on the floor of the tub so that she could embrace him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a deep kiss. Charles grinned as she leaned in, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling them both out of the water as her lips touched his. Liza wrapped her legs around his hips as he stepped out of the water, carrying them out of the bathroom and into the master bedroom, where he showed her how thankful he was that she had said yes.

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Liza awoke lazily on Thanksgiving morning, stretching her long limbs under the comforter and turning to Charles, who was still dead to the world. Some people might think it creepy, but she loved to watch him sleep. He didn't snore, thank goodness, but sometimes he muttered under his breath, and slept with a shadow of a smile on his face. This morning he had one heavy arm draped possessively over Liza's waist, and she slid slowly out from underneath the covers, trying not to wake him. Slipping on a robe, she exited the bedroom quietly and headed downstairs. Maggie was already awake, sipping on a cup of coffee and reviewing her to do list.

"Morning, sunshine." Maggie greeted her brightly, clearly already highly caffeinated.

"Mmmhmm. Are the girls up yet?" Liza padded over to the coffeepot, pouring a mug and inhaling the glorious scent of the coffee.

"Yep. They were up before I was. They're in the living room watching the pre-parade stuff on tv. I've plied them with waffles and sliced oranges and juice, so that's covered."

"Awesome. I'll go get changed and come down to start helping. Kelsey said that she and Zane will be here around noon."

"How are they doing?"

"Good, I think. Kelsey's been acting off this week, but she said she's just not feeling well. Plus, I think she's bummed she's not seeing her mom for the holiday, but she's off on a cruise with her sister. Zane's family lives in New Orleans, but he usually spends Christmas with them."

"Well, hurry up and get back down here. There's a pile of potatoes to peel that are calling your name."

Upstairs Charles stirred, stifling a yawn as he blinked his eyes awake, adjusting to the soft light flooding the bedroom. The fire in the fireplace had died overnight and the room had a slight chill to it. The covers were flung off of Liza's side of the bed, but the sheets were still warm to the touch. He missed her presence, even if she was only a floor away.

He was so glad that he had asked her to move in, and ecstatic that she had said yes. The idea of waking up every morning with her by his side set his heart aglow. She practically lived at the brownstone now, but he wanted it to really feel like home for her. For Caitlin too, so he had been working on clearing out a spare bedroom on the third floor for her and planned on giving her her own set of keys when Liza moved in the rest of her stuff over the weekend. He wanted them to be a family. He grinned to himself as he thought of proposing to Liza. He knew it was still too early, but he hadn't been able to stop himself from stepping into Tiffany's when he walked by after a business meeting earlier in the week, eyeing a few rings. The time wasn't now, but it would come.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Liza pushed open the door, leaning against the frame in a fluffy white bathrobe. She looked so beautiful, her face clear of makeup, her hair shoved into a messy pile on top of her head.

"Come back to bed." Charles patted the sheets next to him, winking at her.

Giggling, Liza stepped over to his side of the bed, perching on the edge of the mattress. She leaned in, kissing him lightly on the lips, tasting faintly of coffee. "Not a chance, mister. Maggie's waiting for me in the kitchen. I just came up to get dressed."

"If Maggie knew what I was thinking about doing to you right now, she'd lock the both of us in here until dinner."

Liza grinned as she stepped into the bathroom, pulling a sweater and a pair of jeans out of her travel bag.

"She's a bad influence on you."

Reluctantly swinging his legs out of bed, Charles stood and stretched. "I'm okay with that."

With a roll of her eyes Liza grabbed her bag of toiletries and stepped back into the bathroom. A moment later she popped her head out. "I'm taking a shower. You coming or what?"

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A few hours later the house was full to the brim with the smell of Thanksgiving. The turkey was cooking away perfectly, and all of the side dishes were prepped and ready to go into the oven. Bianca and Nicole had set the long dining table, supervised closely by Caitlin. Wine was chilled, warm cider was bubbling merrily on the stovetop and snacks were spread out on every flat surface between the kitchen, dining and living room. Maggie had outdone herself, leaving Liza to deal with the pies while Maggie freshened up in the spare room.

Kelsey, who had arrived shortly before noon with Zane, sat at the kitchen island, nursing a mug of hot cider and watched as Liza rolled out pie crusts and mixed up fillings.

"How did you learn how to do all this?" Kelsey arched a speculative eyebrow at Liza as she meticulously laid a lattice pie crust over a cherry pie.

"My mom. She loved to bake. I used to help her bake a pie every Sunday to have with dinner. I still use her cookbook." Liza gestured to the beat up, taped together cookbook laying on the counter in front of her. "I taught Caitlin how to bake when she was little, but she's not a fan. Why spend the time to bake from scratch when you can just order from UberEats. Maybe when she gets older, has her own family."

"It must have been nice, having a mom like that to show you how to do stuff like that. My mom was so busy when I was growing up. The only pie we ever had was out of a box from the frozen section." Kelsey looked wistfully at the cookbook. "I love my mom, but we've never been close. Not like you and Caitlin. I always felt like I was more of a nuisance to her."

"Your mom loves you Kelsey, even if she doesn't show it like you wish she would." Even as she said it, however, Liza wondered. What kind of mother doesn't show up to check in on her daughter when her fiancée is killed? Kelsey hardly ever mentioned her family.

"Yeah, maybe." Kelsey paused, a sad look coming over her face. "I hope I'm not like that when I have a kid. I want my kids to love me, and I would want to be there for them."

Liza placed the finished pies in the oven, wiping her flour caked hands on a dishtowel before turning back to face Kelsey. "Where's all this talk coming from, Kels?" Liza stilled, glancing at her friend. There was no way. She couldn't be. "Are you…are you pregnant?" She asked quietly, her eyes as big as saucers. The guilty look that overcame Kelsey's face was all the confirmation she needed.

Kelsey stood, grabbing Liza's arm with her manicured talons and pulling her into the butler's pantry and sliding the door shut behind them.

"I might be."

"You haven't taken a test yet?" Liza asked loudly, causing Kelsey to reach up and cover Liza's mouth with her hand.

"Not yet. Just, I need some time to wrap my head around the possibility. It just occurred to me this morning. I was sick yesterday, but I thought that I had just eaten some bad sushi. But then it happened again this morning. I'll take a test when I get back to the city, but, Liza, I think I am. I just feel it."

Liza gaped at her. "I can't believe this."

"Neither can I, which is why I need this to stay between us until I know for sure. I'm late too," she added, "so I'm pretty sure this is happening."

"You're so calm. When I found out I was pregnant with Caitlin I just about had a panic attack."

"I'm only calm because there's a chance that this is a false alarm. Trust me, I'll freak out when the strip turns pink. I'm gonna need you, Liza, if this is happening. More than ever." Kelsey reached down and clasped Liza's hand.

"Anything you need, Kelsey. I'll be here for you."

The door slide open, causing them both to jump. Maggie arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow at them, her red lips pursed in an amusing fashion.

"What are you two doing in here?"

"I, ah, I was just giving Kelsey the five-cent tour," Liza sputtered, making her way past Maggie to the oven, cracking the door to check on the pies.

"Uh-huh." Maggie didn't push it, seeing the look on Kelsey's face. She adored Kelsey but knew that if she was confiding in Liza about something, she wasn't ready for anyone else to know yet. The woman was like a vault when it came to keeping secrets.

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Dinner went off without a hitch and Liza and Charles's first holiday at their new home was about as perfect as could be. Maggie's dinner was delectable, and the hours passed quickly as the 5 adults, Caitlin, Nicole and Bianca broke bread in the dining room, a fire crackling in the fireplace as the sun went down on the New York hills. The night ended with Liza's favorite childhood tradition that she insisted occur every Thanksgiving once the food was put away and the pie was cut – a viewing of The Sound of Music. The entire group retired to the living room, piling onto the sectional with blankets and snacks. As Julie Andrews danced and sang across the screen, Liza thought she couldn't be happier. Resting her head on the shoulder of the love of her life, his arm wrapped around her, Caitlin curled up on her other side. Her two best friends with her, each with an arm wrapped around one of Charles's girls. Zane was growing on her, and she knew she'd have to warm up to him if Kelsey was indeed having his child. The thought weighed heavy on her mind, but the warmth and love in her surroundings, in the people around her, made her feel that, no matter what, everything would be alright.

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"Do you really have to go to this?" Charles sat in one of the leather chairs in their bedroom on Saturday evening, his book laying aside, long abandoned. They'd spent the day trucking the last of her boxes (mostly books) to the brownstone, his limbs ached, the girls were with Pauline, and all he wanted was a night in with Liza.

"Yes. I told Josh I would be there." Liza called from the bathroom. Stepping back into the bedroom she walked over to the closet, pulling a pair of over the knee black boots on over her skinny jeans. "He's been working really hard on this renovation, and it means a lot to him to have his friends there."

"I get it. I just don't have to like it." Charles pouted. No matter what anyone said, he didn't, and wouldn't, be trusting Josh anytime soon. The guy was always up to something, and the way he looked at Liza iced Charles' veins. She wasn't his girlfriend anymore, and Josh needed to accept that.

Liza sighed loudly, rolling her eyes as she pulled on a shimmery black sweater. "You can't honestly think anything is going to happen. Caitlin will be there, for god's sake." Her eyes darkened as she glanced at Charles but lightened when she saw the childlike pout on his face.

"I trust you. Josh, not so much."

"Well, why don't you come along? Lay your claim on me like piece of property." Liza teased, leaning over Charles, her hands resting on the arms of his chair. She smirked as Charles swallowed hard, taking in her smoky eyes and loose wavy hair. Her perfume smelled of vanilla and spice, and all he wanted to do was push her back onto the bed behind her.

"Oh, trust me," he said huskily, wrapping one hand around the back of her neck. "I plan on laying my claim on you tonight. Repeatedly." He pulled her down, lips crushing against hers, teasing her with a taste of what she would be coming home to.

"I won't be long." Liza whispered, her lips barely centimeters from his. He saw the smile flash across her lips, and then she was gone.

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"This place looks amazing!" Liza's jaw dropped as she stepped into Inkburg behind Maggie and Lauren. Before, the studio had been overtly masculine and a little dingy, always smelling faintly of weed and beer. Now, the space was wide open. He'd removed a couple of walls, opening up the space and painting the walls a light color to give the appearances of a bigger room. The dirty floor had been tiled and there was a lounge like waiting area, complete with a small sectional sofa and fully stocked mini fridge. Tasteful yet hip artwork hung on the walls, including a Maggie Amato original.

"Doesn't it? He's been really excited for you to see the space. He still really wants to impress you," Lauren quipped, grabbing glasses of champagne from a nearby table and handing them to Liza and Maggie.

"I've been impressed with Josh since the day I met him." Liza answered, annoyed by the look on Lauren's face. She didn't need the little redhead scheming to reunite her and Josh.

"Hey, Caitlin's here already." Maggie interrupted loudly, gesturing across the room.

Liza looked over to see Caitlin chatting with a few people and smiled at her daughter. "Yeah, she didn't want to lower her cool factor by coming to a party with her mother, so she came separate."

Lauren nodded wisely. "Speaking of separate, where is the notorious KLP?"

"Kelsey's on the way. She, ah, had a couple of errands to run." Liza lied. She'd slipped her key to the loft to Kelsey, affording her a private space to take the half dozen pregnancy tests that she had bought at the CVS down the street. She was more excited to find out what the result was than to see Josh's renovated space.

"Hello ladies," The host appeared in front of them, smiling broadly.

"Here's the man of the hour! This is incredible Josh." Liza leaned in, hugging him lightly and kissing him on the cheek.

"You made it!" He held onto her for a beat, then let her go.

"I wouldn't have missed it," She answered sincerely. "How did you do all this?"

"Oh, it, uh, took a little bit of tie, but you wouldn't know that because you haven't really been around." Josh looked at her pointedly before reaching over and pulling a short brunette into the group. "Hey, this is Skye. She's another tattoo artist. She specializes in do-overs."

Liza shook the girl's hand, smiling politely. If Josh was trying to make her jealous, well, it wouldn't work. "Oh, like tattoo removal?"

"More like repurposing. I redesign regret," The girl looked Liza up and down. "Have any tattoos, Liza?"

"I do, but none that I regret." Liza smiled shyly at Josh, who grinned back at her, shoving up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the dragon tattoo.

"I got one for her, she got one for me. It was supposed to be for her birth year, but we, uh, got the details a little fuzzy." Josh glanced up at Liza, his eyes bright. "Still tells a story, right?"

"Yeah."

Skye leaned into Josh, examining his arm of tattoos and asking him this and that about the work. Caitlin came up at the same time, wrapping an arm around Liza. The door opened behind them, and Kelsey stepped into the crowded room, catching Liza's eye but not revealing anything.

"Hey baby girl. Have a good afternoon?"

"I did. Hey, Josh," she greeted him before turning back to her mom. "I went shopping with Rose. I found some stuff for my room. It's being delivered to the brownstone on Monday." Liza started to protest, but Caitlin cut her off. "It's not much. Just a bedspread and a few prints for the walls. Charles said I could do whatever I wanted with it. Relax, Mom." With her trademark eyeroll Caitlin skipped away, leaving Liza standing with a confused looking Josh.

"You moved in with him?" Josh asked, not making an effort to hide the incredulity in his voice.

Liza squared her shoulders and tossed her hair to one side. "Yes, I did. We moved the last of my things from the loft today."

"Thanks for letting me know. Moving a little fast, don't you think? You haven't even been together for that long."

"It's been six months, and it's not really any of your business, Josh. Just because it was never right for you and me doesn't me it isn't right for Charles and me. It was time. I practically lived there anyways, and we just bought a house together."

Josh rolled his eyes and raked his hand through his hair. "I don't even recognize the person you've become, Liza. Living on the Upper East Side, a house upstate. Shacking up with your boss and his kids?"

Liza grabbed Josh's arm, pulling him into a corner. "Listen, Josh, I've had it up to here with all of this. Stop being bitter and move on. Accept that the life I'm living is the life that I want. I came here tonight because I'm your friend and I wanted to support you. That can stop anytime."

Josh looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Liza. Shit, I don't know what gets into me. Listen, I'm glad you came. Really. I'll talk to you later." And before he could say another word, he disappeared back into the crowd.

Sighing heavily, Liza ran her hand across her face, looking up to see Kelsey watching her from across the room. She tilted her head at the blonde, searching for any indication of an answer. Almost imperceptibly, Kelsey bobbed her head up and down, biting her lip, her eyes brimming with tears. It was true. She was pregnant. 


End file.
